HISTORY 


M'BIA    AND    ABY  IA.. 


BY  REV 


EL  R 


i 
nia 

i 


R,  8  2  CLIFF-  ST  RE 

"eotype  Edit: 

1833 


HARPER'S  FAMILY  LIBRARY. 

DESIGNED     FOR     ADULT      PERSONS. 


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■ 


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W'OSIA 


;^  ST"     \  ...       ABTSSIB'IA 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA, 


NEW- YORK: 

J.   <fc  J.   HARPER,  82  CLIFF-STREET. 


1833. 


Harper's  Stereotype  Edition. 


NUBIA 


AND 


ABYSSINIA: 


COMPREHKNDISG   THEIR 

CIVIL  HISTORY,  ANTIQUITIES,  ARTS,  RELIGION,  LITERA- 
TURE, AND  NATURAL  HISTORY. 


BY  THE  REV.  MICHAEL  RUSSELL,  LL.D. 

Author  of  "  View  of  Ancient  and  Modern  Egypt," 
"  Palestine,  or  the  Holy  Land,"  &c. 


ILLUSTRATED    BY   A    MAP,    AND    SEVERAL    ENGRAVINGS. 


NEW-YORK: 

PRINTED  AND  PUBLISHED  BY  J.  &  J.  HARPER, 

NO.    82   CLIFF-STREET, 

AND  SOLD  BY  THE  PRINCIPAL  BOOKSELLERS  THROUGHOUT   THE 

UNITED    STATES. 

1833. 


PREFACE. 


There  is  no  country  in  the  world  more  interest- 
ing to  the  antiquary  and  scholar  than  that  which  was 
known  to  the  ancients  as  "  Ethiopia  above  Egypt," 
the  Nubia  and  Abyssinia  of  the  present  day.  It 
was  universally  regarded  by  the  poets  and  philoso- 
phers of  Greece  as  the  cradle  of  those  arts  which 
at  a  later  period  covered  the  kingdom  of  the  Pha- 
raohs with  so  many  wonderful  monuments,  as  also 
of  those  religious  rites  which,  after  being  slightly 
modified  by  the  priests  of  Thebes,  were  adopted  by 
the  ancestors  of  Homer  and  Virgil  as  the  basis  of 
their  mythology.  A  description  of  this  remarkable 
nation,  therefore,  became  a  necessary  supplement 
to  the  "View  of  Ancient  and  Modem  Egypt," 
which  has  been  some  time  before  the  public* 

In  tracing  the  connexion  of  the  primitive  people 
who  dwelt  on  the  Upper  Nile,  with  the  inhabitants  of 
Arabia  and  of  the  remoter  east,  I  have  availed  my- 
self of  the  latest  information  that  could  be  derived 
from  Continental  authors,  as  well  as  from  the  vol- 
umes of  such  of  our  own  travellers  as  have  ascended 
above  the  Second  Cataract.     The  work  of  Heeren 

*  [No.  XXIII.  of  the  Family  Library.] 


8  PREFACE. 

on  the  Politics,  Intercourse,  and  Trade  of  the  Car- 
thaginians, Ethiopians,  and  Egyptians,  possesses 
considerable  value,  not  less  on  account  of  the  in- 
genious views  which  it  unfolds,  than  for  the  happy 
application  of  ancient  literature  to  the  illustration 
and  embellishment  of  the  main  hypothesis. 

The  reader  will  be  surprised  at  the  extent  and 
magnificence  of  the  architectural  remains  of  Nubia, 
which,  in  some  instances,  have  been  found  to  rival, 
and,  in  others,  even  to  surpass  the  more  celebrated 
buildings  of  Egypt.  It  will  no  longer  be  denied  by 
any  one  who  has  seen  the  splendid  work  of  Gau, 
that  the  pattern  or  type  of  those  stupendous  erec- 
tions, which  continue  to  excite  the  admiration  of  the 
tourist  at  Karnac,  Luxor,  and  Ghizeh,  may  be  de- 
tected in  the  numerous  monuments  still  visible  be- 
tween the  site  of  the  famed  Meroe  and  the  falls  of 
Es  Souan.  The  more  learned  among  professional 
artists  are  now  nearly  unanimous  in  the  opinion  that 
the  principles  of  architecture,  as  well  as  of  religious 
belief,  have  descended  from  Ethiopia  to  Egypt ;  re- 
ceiving improvement  in  their  progress  downward, 
till  at  length  their  triumph  was  completed  at  Dios- 
polis,  in  the  palace  of  Osymandias  and  the  temple 
of  Jupiter  Amnion. 

The  late  expedition  of  Ishmael  Pasha  into  Sen- 
naar  and  the  other  countries  bounded  by  the  two 
great  branches  of  the  Nile  has  added  materially  to 
our  topographical  knowledge  of  that^portion  of  Af- 
rica,— one  of  the  least  frequented  by  Europeans. 
Cailliaud,  English,  and  Linant  have  supplied  to  the 
geographer  some  important  notices  relative  to  the 


PREFACE.  9 

position  of  certain  towns  and  mountains,  of  which 
only  the  names  had  formerly  been  conveyed  to  our 
ears.  The  Publishers  have  taken  the  utmost  pains 
to  imbody  in  the  map  prefixed  to  this  volume  the 
results  of  the  latest  discoveries  accomplished  by 
British,  French,  and  American  travellers,  under  the 
protection  of  the  Turkish  army. 

But  no  consideration  associated  with  the  history 
of  Ethiopia  is  more  interesting  than  the  fact  that  the 
Christian  religion,  received  about  fifteen  hundred 
years  ago,  continues  to  be  professed  by  the  great 
majority  of  the  people.  In  regard  to  the  mixture 
of  Jewish  rites  with  the  institutions  of  the  gospel, 
still  observable  among  the  Abyssinians,  I  have  sug- 
gested some  reflections  which  seem  calculated  to 
throw  a  new  light  on  that  obscure  subject.  Of  the 
literature  of  the  same  nation,  so  far  as  the  relics 
could  be  collected  from  their  chronicles  and  books 
of  devotion,  a  suitable  account  has  been  given  : 
connected  in  some  degree  with  the  brighter  pros- 
pects which  may  yet  be  entertained  by  the  friends 
of  theological  learning  as  arising  from  the  well- 
directed  efforts  of  certain  benevolent  associations  in 
this  country. 

For  some  valuable  information,  not  hitherto  pub- 
lished, I  am  indebted  to  William  Erskine,  Esq.,  of 
Blackburn,  late  of  Bombay,  who  kindly  placed  in 
my  hands  two  large  manuscript  volumes,  containing 
Travels  and  Letters  written  in  the  East.  Among 
these  is  a  number  of  communications  from  Mr.  Na- 
thaniel Pearce,  during  his  residence  in  Abyssinia, 
addressed  to  several  British  residents  at  Mocha  and 


10  PREFACE. 

Bombay,  and  embracing  the  more  prominent  events 
of  his  history  between  the  years  1810  and  1818. 

In  like  manner,  I  have  to  express  my  obligations 
to  Captain  Armstrong  of  the  Royal  Artillery,  who, 
in  the  course  of  his  travels  in  Nubia,  made  draw- 
ings and  measurements  Of  the  principal  temples  as 
far  south  as  Wady  Haifa.  By  means  of  these  I 
have  been  enabled  to  ascertain  the  exact  dimensions 
of  several  of  those  structures,  the  views  of  which 
have  been  given  by  some  recent  tourists  with  more 
attention  to  elegance  than  to  professional  accuracy 
in  the  details. 

In  order  to  render  this  little  volume  as  complete 
as  possible,  the  Publishers  obtained  the  assistance 
of  two  eminent  naturalists,  Mr.  Wilson  and  Dr. 
Greville  ;  to  the  former  of  whom  the  reader  owes 
the  instinctive  chapter  on  Zoology,  while  to  the 
latter  he  is  under  a  similar  obligation  for  the  Botan- 
ical outline,  in  which  are  ably  described  the  vegeta- 
ble productions  of  the  Abyssinian  provinces. 

To  complete  the  plan  entertained  with  respect  to 
Africa,  there  remains  yet  one  volume,   which  will 
appear  in  due  time,  on  the  History,  Antiquities,  and 
Present  Condition  of  the  Barbara  States. 
Edinburgh,  March,  1833. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 


INTRODUCTION. 

Difficulties  to  be  encountered  by  the  Historian  of  Ethiopia — Record  of 
Monuments;  their  Uncertainty — Obstacles  which  opposed  the  Know- 
ledge of  the  Ancients— Supposition  that  Civilization  descended  the  Nile 
— Progress  of  Oriental  Emigration — Resemblance  of  Nubian  Temples 
to  those  of  India— Fame  of  Ancient  Ethiopians— Ambiguity  of  the 
Term — Two  great  Classes  of  Africans— Mixture  of  Arabians — Opinion 
of  Heeren  as  to  Language— Discoveries  of  Hornemann  and  Lyon — 
Tuaricks  and  Tibboos — Nubians— Abyssinians — Hypothesis  of  Heeren 
— Connexion  of  Commerce  and  Religion— Chain  of  Temples— Similar 
Connexion  among  Jews  and  Christians— Early  Improvement  of  Ethio- 
pians mentioned  in  Scripture— Defence  of  tlie  Opinion  that  Egypt 
derived  Learning  and  Science  from  the  Upper  Nile Page  15 

CHAPTER  II. 

GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF    NUBIA   AND   ABYSSINIA. 

Plan  to  be  followed  in  this  Chapter— Nubian  Valley— Sterility— Former 
Cultivation — Doudour — Derr— Ibrim— Wady  Haifa— Second  Cataract 
— Beauty  of  Country  in  Dongola — Benefits  of  the  Nile — Temple  of 
Soleb — Elegance  of  the  Building — Kingdom  of  Merawe — Gebel  el 
Berkal — El  Belial — Hypothesis  in  regard  to  Me  roe— Opinions  of. 
Ptolemy;  Herodotus,  Strtfbo— Sheygyans  —  Ishmael  Pasha — Third 
Cataract — Berber — Shendy  el  Garb—Shendy— Junction  of  the  White 
and  Blue  Rivers — Sennaar — Climate — Inhabitants — Manufactures — 
Expeditions  by  the  Troops  under  the  Pasha— Bravery  of  the  Natives 
— Description  of  the  City  of  Sennaar — Advance  of  Egyptian  Army  into 
Fazoslo — El  Quenbyn— Kilgou— Singueh— Conflicts  with  the  Natives 
at  Taby  and  Gassi— Reception  at  Fazoglo— Return  to  Sennaar — 
Aquaro— River  Toumat — Quamarnyl— Ishmael  disappointed  as  to  Gold 
and  Slaves — Poncet's  Account  of  Sennaar — Abyssinia— Its  Extent 
—Political  Geography— Kingdoms  and  Provinces — Amhara— Tigre — 
Shoa,  and  the  Eastern  Coast 31 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  III. 

CIVIL    HISTORY   OF    NUBIA   AND   ABYSSINIA. 

Variety  of  Opinion  in  regard  to  Ethiopians— Aboriginal  and  mixed  with 
Arabians— Queen  of  Sheba— Book  of  Axuin — Abyssinians  converted 
to  Christianity— Extent  of  their  Dominions— Wars  in  Arabia— Arrival 
of  Portuguese— History  of  Nubia — Cambyses— Macrobians — Table  of 
the  Sun — Explanation  by  Heeren — Ptolemy  Euergetes — War  with 
Candace— Success  of  Petronius — Period  of  Darkness  respecting  Ethio- 
pia— Prester  John— Mission  of  Covilbam — Of  Matthew — Alvarez — 
Camp  of  the  Abyssinian  Monarch -Interview  with  David  III. — Ordi- 
nation of  Clergy— Stephen  de  Gama— Bermudez  the  Abulia— Oviedo — 
Peter  Paez — Jerome  Lobo— Hatred  towards  Catholics-  I'oncet— Bruce 
— State  of  Abyssinia— Pas  Michael— Ozoro  Esther— Manuscripts  col- 
lected by  Bruce— History  of  Abyssinia — Revolt  of  Judith— Restoration 
of  the  Line  of  Solomon — List  of  Kings— Galla — War  among  Chiefs- 
Bruce  goes  to  the  Sources  of  the  Nile— Fasil — The  Juniper — The 
Lamb— Ketla  Yasous — Mr.  Salt — Outline  of  History— Pearce — His 
Vlventiires  under  Welled  Selasse— Death  of  Ras— Demise  of  the 
King— Rise  of  Subegadis— Invasion  of  Nubia  by  Ishmael  Pasha— Bat- 
tles with  Sheygyaus— Act  of  Generosity—  Cruelty  of  Egyptian  Arrnv 
—Character  of  Stieygyans— Expedition  of  Ibrahim— Death  of  Ishmael 
— Spirit  of  Insurrection  in  conquered  Provinces SO 

CHAPTER  IV. 

ARCHITECTURAL   MONUMENTS    OF    NUBIA   AND"  ABYSSINIA. 

Rule  for  determining  the  Antiquity  and  Filiation  of  ancient  States— Con- 
nexion between  Egypt,  Ethiopia,  and  India— Excavated  Temples— 
Girshe,  Seboua,  and  Derr — Different  Orders  of  Architecture— Temple 
of  Osiris  at  Ebsarnboul — Labours  of  Bel/.oni.  Irby,  and  Mangles— Mag- 
nificence of  Interior,  and  Description  of  the  various  Halls — Dis- 
coveries of  Mr.  Bankes— Visit  of  Delturdar  Bey— Sir  F.  Henniker— 
Temple  of  Isis— Cave  of  Elephanta— Temples  of  Salsette  and  Ellora— 
Comparison  with  those  of  Ethiopia — Temples  of  Soleb,  of  Kalabshe, 
and  Dondour— Opinion  of  Gau— Mixed  Greek  and  Egyptian  Forms— 
Gebel  el  Berkal — Principal  Temple  there— Pyramids— El  Belial — 
Progress  in  the  Arts— Succession  of  Buildings— 5leroe— Bruce,  Strabo, 
Cailliaud — Assour—  Pyramids— M.  Rftppel— Naga  and  Messoura — 
Large  Temple— Opinion  of  M.  Heeren— Of  Cailliaud— Ruins  at 
Mandeyr  and  Kely— Constitution  of  Government  at  Meroe-— Its  Ter- 
mination— Remains  at  Axum— Obelisk — Errors  of  Bruce— Corrections 
by  Salt— Axum  Inscription— Adulis— Inscription — Cosmas— Reference 
to  Dr.  VineeiU — Luxor  and  Karnac — Sacred  Ship— Bond  of  Religion 
—Lineage  of  the  Gods— Hebrew  Tribes^Decline  of  Learning  in 
Ethiopia 138 

CHAPTER  Y. 

RELIGION   AND    LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA. 

Abyssinia  received  Christianity  at  an  early  Period— Influence  of  Re- 
ligion on  its  Political  State  and  Civil  History— Story  of  Frumentius— 


CONTENTS.  XU1 

Jewish  Ceremonies  mixed  with  the  Gospel— Ariaii  Heresy — Constats 
tius — Invasion  of  Arabia— Heresy  of  Eutyches — Conversion  of  Nu- 
bians—Justinian and  Theodora— Zara  Jacob— His  Letter  to  the  Monks 
of  Jerusalem— Council  of  Florence — Pagans  of  Samen — Arrival  of 
Paez— Dispute  with  Clergy — The  King  Za  Denghel  becomes  Roman 
Catholic— His  Letter  to  the  Pope — Accession  of  Susneus— His  Adher- 
ence to  the  Roman  Form — Rebellion — Formal  Declaration  in  favour 
of  Popery— Death  of  Pa«z — Arrival  of  Mendez— His  Proceedings  as 
Patriarch— Encroachments  and  Tyranny— The  King,  alarmed,  insists 
on  Moderation — Rebellion— Basilides,  or  Facilidas,  the  Prince — Hopes 
of  the  People— Letter  from  the  Pope — Additional  Concessions— Popery 
abolished — Jesuits  banished  —  Capuchins  —  Franciscan  Friars  —  At- 
tempt by  Louis  XIV.— Poncet  and  Brevedent — Massacre  of  Catholic 
Priests— Arrival  of  Abuna — His  Proceedings — The  Psalter— Doctrines 
of  Abyssinians — Zaga  Zaba,  Ludolf,  and  Lobo — Mode  of  Worship — 
Form  of  Churches — Circumcision,  Baptism,  and  Communion — Prayers 
for  the  Dead — Fixedness  of  Manners  and  Habits — Sabbath — Chro- 
nology— Last  Attempt  of  Catholics — Literature — Resemblance  to  Jew- 
— Books — Philosophy — Law — Medicine— Modern  Translations. . .  195 

CHAPTER  VI. 

MANNERS   AND   CtJSTOMS   OF    ETHIOPIA. 

Present  State  of  Abyssinia— Weakness  of  the  Monarch— Nature  of  Suc- 
cession—Court  of  Justice— Modes  of  Punishment — Similarity  to  the 
Persians— Humane  Maxims— Aversion  to  eat  with  Strangers— Com- 
plexion and  Features— Marriage  Ceremonies — Manner  of  Christening 
— Whimsical  Practice  to  preserve  the  Life  of  Children— Superstitions — 
Buda— Singular  Anecdotes — The  Zaekary — Strange  Delusion  of  Tigre- 
fer— Mode  of  Cure— Example  witnessed  by  Mr.  Pearce — Case  of  his 
own  Wife— Trembling  Picture— The  Crying  Cross — Delusion  by  a 
Dofter— Opinion  of  Welled  Selasse — Chastisement  of  the  Dofter — 
Astonishing  Mimic — Diseases  and  Death  ascribed  to  Demons — Fevers 
—Small-pox— Inoculation— Practice  of  Galla— Scrofula— Tape-worm — 
Customs  at  Funerals— Criers— Lawyers— Practice  in  regard  to  Pun- 
ishment of  Murderers — Agriculture— Cookery — Usages  at  the  Table — 
Cutting  of  the  Shulada — Narrative  of  Bruce — Disbelieved  in  Europe — 
Questioned  by  Mr.  Salt— Description  of  a  Feast — Mode  of  Feeding  at 
Table— Attempt  to  reconcile  Bruce  and  Salt — Change  of  Manners  in 
the  Interval — Character  of  the  Nobility  and  Higher  Classes — Rigid 
Fasts— Disorderly  Conduct  of  the  Clergy— Extract  from  Purchas's  Pil- 
grims—Conclusion    242 

CHAPTER  VII, 

EXHIBITING    THE    MORE    REMARKABLE   FEATURES   IN   THE 
GEOLOGY   OF    NUBIA   AND   ABYSSINIA. 

Want  of  attention  to  this  subject  on  the  part  of  Travellers— Primitive 
Rocks — Granite,  Gneiss,  Porphyry,  Quartz,  and  Serpentine — Similar 
Structure  towards  the  Eastern  Frontier— Mountains  of  Cosseir— Mar- 
ble —  Emerald  Mountains  —  Batn-el-Hadjar  —  Dar  Mahass— Primary 
Rocks— Secondary  Formation  at  Berber — Primitive  Strata  reappear — 
El  Queribyn— Fazoglo— Singueh— Mountains  of  Abyssinia— Taranta 

B 


XIV  CONTENTS. 

— Lamalmon— Canza— Singular   Shapes— Occasioned  by  Periodical 
Rains— Theory  of  the  Earth— Reflections 277 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

NOTICES  REGARDING  SOME  OF  THE  PRINCIPAL  FEATURES  IN 
THE  ZOOLOGY  OF  THE  COUNTRIES  DESCRI3ED  IN  THE  PRE- 
CEDING   CHAPTERS. 

Peculiarity  in  the  Physical  Structure  of  the  Inhabitants  of  Upper  Egypt- 
Animals  numerous  in  Abyssinia — Monkeys — Bats— Canine  Animals — 
'  Fennec— Hyenas— Lynxes— Feline  Animals— Supposed  Origin  of  our 
Domestic  Cat— Jerboa— Different  Kinds  of  Wild  Hog— Hippopotamus 
— Rhinoceros — Equine  Animals — fiiraffe — Antelopes — Birds  of  Prey — 
Lammergeyer— Vulture — Owls — Pigeons— Hornbills — Parrots  —  Bus- 
tard—Storks—Water Fowl— Reptiles— Crocodile —Cerastes— Fishes 
—Shells— Pearl  Muscles— Insects— Tsaltsalya  Fly— Locusts 284 

CHAPTER  IX. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  VEGETATION  AS  FAR  AS  IT  IS 
KNOWN — BRIEF  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  MOST  REMARKABLE  AND 
USEFUL  PLANTS. 

Vegetation  of  the  Country—  The  Baobab— Acacia  vera — Tamarind — Kan- 
tuffa — Kuara — True  Sycamore — KolquaH — Cusso— Balsam  of  Mecca 
— Wooginoos — Coffee-tree — Wansey — Ensete — Doum-tree — Dhourra 
— Teff—  Papyrus 318 


ENGRAVINGS. 


Map  of  Nubia  and  Abyssinia To  fact  the  Vignette. 

Vignktte— Great  Pyramid  at  El  Belial. 

View  of  the  Temple  of  Soleb  from  the  North-east Page    41 

View  of  El  Queribyn 62 

Ozoro  Esther 109 

Kefla  Yasous 120 

View  of  the  Temple  of  Samne 158 

Ethiopian  Hog— Addax— Fennec 291 

Saddle-billed  Stork 309 


NUBIA   AND   ABYSSINIA. 


CHAPTER  T. 

Introduction. 


Difficulties  to  be  encountered  by  the  Historian  of  Ethiopia— Record  of 
Monuments  ;  their  Uncertainly — Obstacles  which  opposed  the  Know- 
ledge of  the  Ancients— Supposition  that  Civilization  descended  the  Nile 
— Progress  of  Oriental  Emisration — Resemblance  of  Nubian  Temples 
to  those  of  India — Fame  of  Ancient  Ethiopians— Ambiguity  of  the 
Term — Two  great  Classes  of  Africans — Mixture  of  Arabians — Opinion 
of  Heeren  as  to  Language— Discoveries  of  Hornemann  and  Lyon — 
Tuaricks  and  Tibboos — Nubians — Abyssinians — Hypothesis  of  Heeren 
— Connexion  of  Commerce  and  Religion— Chain  of"  Temples— Similar 
Connexion  among  Jews  and  Christians— Early  Improvement  of  Ethi- 
opians mentioned  in  Scripture— Defence  of  the  Opinion  that  Egypt 
derived  Learning  an1  Science  from  the  Upper  Nile. 

In  attempting  to  trace  the  history  of  the  countries  known 
to  the  ancients  by  the  name  of  Ethiopia,  we  have  to  en- 
counter the  numerous  obstacles  which  arise  from  the  absence 
of  a  national  literature,  as  well  as  from  a  succession  of 
conquests  made  by  a  variety  of  barbarous  tribes.  Here 
indeed,  as  in  Egypt,  we  possess  the  record  of  monuments 
which  indicate  the  genius  and  religion  of  the  people  by 
whom  the  land  was  occupied  at  a  very  distant  period  ;  but 
it  is  manifest  that,  in  reading  the  language  supplied  by  the 
arts,  it  must  be  extremely  difficult  to  avoid  the  ambiguity  in- 
separable from  their  expression  in  regard  to  the  precise  date 
at  which  they  flourished.  The  ruins  of  cities,  of  temples, 
and  of  obelisks  may  no  doubtbear  evidence  to  the  wisdom 
of  former  ages,  to  the  power  of  conquerors,  and  to  the  spirit 
of  magnificence  which  threw  a  transient  splendour  even 
over  the  path  of  destructive  armies  ;  still,  we  cannot  dis- 
cover in  them  the  genealogy  of  the  nations  to  whom  they 


16  INTRODUCTION. 

were  indebted  for  their  origin,  nor  the  earliest  rudiments  oi 
that  mechanical  skill  of  which  they  illustrate  so  strikingly 
the  progress  and  the  perfection.  A  cloud  hangs  over  the 
horizon  of  that  remote  antiquity  with  which  we  are  desirous 
to  become  acquainted  ;  and  as  the  current  of  time  carries 
us  still  farther  away  from  the  point  whither  our  researches 
are  directed,  we  can  hardly  be  said  to  enjoy  the  encourage- 
ment which  arises  from  the  hope  of  a  successful  result. 

Egypt,  from  its  vicinity  to  the  Mediterranean,  as  also  to 
the  great  thoroughfare  which  connects  Asia  with  Europe, 
was  comparatively  well  known  to  the  historians  of  Greece. 
An  intercourse  was  long  maintained  between  the  philoso- 
phers of  that  country  and  the  priesthood  of  the  Nile,  which 
has  proved  the  medium  of  much  valuable  information  re- 
specting the  early  kingdoms  of  Thebes  and  Memphis.  But 
the  difficulty  of  penetrating  into  Western  Ethiopia  checked 
at  once  the  ardour  of  ambition  and  the  enterprise  of  science. 
Neither  the  arms  of  Cambyses  nor  the  curiosity  of  P)'thag- 
oras  could  find  a  path  into  the  regions  of  the  Bahr  el  Abiad, 
so  as  to  lay  open  the  wonders  of  Meroe,  or  reveal  to  Europe 
the  mysteries  of  its  learning,  its  science,  and  its  religious  faith. 

There  is  little  doubt,  however,  that  the  treasures  of 
knowledge,  like  the  fertilizing  current  of  the  Nile,  have  de- 
scended the  valley  which,  beginning  at  Sennaar,  terminates 
at  Alexandria ;  and,  moreover,  that  the  progress  of  civiliza- 
tion must  originally  have  taken  the  same  direction,  moving 
from  the  south  towards  the  north.  The  ancient  historians 
are  unanimous  in  the  opinion,  that  the  City  of  a  Hundred 
Gates  owed  its  foundation  to  a  people  who  dwelt  above  the 
Cataracts ;  and  that  at  a  more  recent  period,  when  Lower 
Egypt  began  to  possess  a  rich  soil  fitted  for  all  the  purposes 
of  agriculture,  and  prove  itself  equal  to  the  maintenance 
of  a  large  population,  the  principal  seat  of  government  was 
removed  to  Memphis.  A  similar  cause  perhaps,  at  a  still 
later  date,  gave  rise  to  the  removal  of  the  capital  to  its  pres- 
ent position,  as  well  as  to  the  erection  of  the  several  towns 
which  from  time  to  time  have  occupied  the  productive  plains 
of  the  Delta. 

To  account  for  the  facts  just  stated,  we  must  suppose  that 
the  stream  of  emigration  which,  issuing  from  the  mouths  of 
the  Euphrates,  pursued  its  course  both  eastward  and  west- 
ward along  the  coast  of  Asia,  had  at  an  early  age  reached 


INTRODUCTION*.  17 

the  Straits  of  Bab  el  Mandeb.  The  adventurers,  instead 
of  proceeding  up  the  Red  Sea,  which  is  remarkable  for  its 
dangerous  navigation,  appear  to  have  made  their  way  into 
Abyssinia  by  some  of  those  mountain-passes  that  still  con- 
nect the  Arabian  Gulf  with  the  higher  valleys  of  the  Nile. 
There  is  indeed  the  best  reason  to  believe  that  those  lateral 
defiles  which  form  the  line  of  communication  between  the 
sea  and  the  great  rivers  of  Ethiopia  witnessed  the  earliest 
expeditions  from  the  East ;  consisting  of  those  daring  spirits 
who,  in  the  pursuits  of  commerce,  or  in  search  of  more 
fertile  lands,  or  of  hills  enriched  with  gold,  pushed  their 
discoveries  into  Habesh,  Nubia,  and  Sennaar. 

The  most  obvious  confirmation  of  the  opinion  now  stated 
may  be  drawn  from  the  striking  resemblance  which  is  known 
to  subsist  between  the  usages,  the  superstitions,  the  arts, 
and  the  mythology  of  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  Western 
India  and  those  of  the  first  settlers  on  the  Upper  Nile.  The 
sanctuaries  of  Nubia,  for  example,  exhibit  the  same  features, 
whether  as  to  the  style  of  architecture  or  the  forms  of 
worship  which  must  have  been  practised  in  them,  with  the 
similar  temples  that  have  been  recently  examined  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Bombay.  In  both  cases  they  consist  of 
vast  excavations  hewn  out  in  the  solid  body  of  a  hill  or 
mountain,  and  are  decorated  with  huge  figures,  which 
shadow  forth  the  same  powers  of  nature,  or  serve  as  em- 
blems to  denote  the  same  qualities  in  the  subordinate  divini- 
ties which  were  imagined  to  preside  over  the  material 
universe. 

We  have  elsewhere  mentioned,  as  a  proof  of  this  h}Tpoth- 
esis,  the  very  remarkable  fact,  that  the  sepoys  who  joined 
the  British  army  in  Egypt  imagined  that  they  found  their 
own  temples  in  the  ruins  of  Dendera,  and  were  greatly  in- 
censed at  the  natives  for  neglecting  the  ancient  deities  whose 
statues  are  still  preserved.  So  strongly,  indeed,  were  they 
themselves  impressed  with  this  identity,  that  they  proceeded 
to  perform  their  devotions  with  all  the  ceremonies  practised 
in  their  native  land.  There  is  a  resemblance  too  in  the 
minor  instruments  of  their  superstition — the  lotus,  the  lin- 
gam,  and  the  serpent, — which  can  hardly  be  regarded  as 
accidental.  But  it  is,  no  doubt,  in  the  immense  extent,  the 
gigantic  plan,  the  vast  conception,  which  appear  in  all  their 
sacred  buildings,  that  we  most  readilv  discover  the  influence 
B  2 


18  INTRODUCTION. 

of  the  same  lofty  genius,  and  the  endeavour  to  accomplish 
the  same  mighty  object.  The  excavated  temple  of  Guerfeh 
Hassan,  for  example,  reminds  every  traveller  of  the  cave  of 
Elephanta.  The  resemblance,  indeed,  is  singularly  striking, 
as  are  in  fact  all  the  leading  principles  of  Nubian  architec- 
ture, to  that  of  the  Hindoos.  They  differ  only  in  those 
details  of  the  decorative  parts  which  trifling  points  of 
variation  in  their  religious  creeds  seem  to  have  suggested  ; 
but  many  even  of  the  rites  and  emblems  are  precisely  the 
same,  especially  those  of  the  temples  dedicated  to  Iswara, 
the  Indian  Bacchus.  In  either  country,  the  hardest  granite 
mountains  have  been  cut  down  into  the  resemblance  of 
splendid  buildings,  the  fronts  of  which  are  adorned  with 
sculpture.  In  both,  also,  large  masses  of  rock  have  been 
excavated  into  hollow  chambers,  whose  sides  are  decorated 
with  columns  and  statues  carved  out  of  the  same  stone,  or 
lifted  up  into  the  air  in  the  form  of  obelisks  and  pillars.  By 
whom  and  by  what  means  these  wonderful  efforts  have  been 
accomplished  is  a  mystery  sunk  too  deep  in  the  abyss  of 
time  ever  to  be  clearly  revealed.  But  we  need  only  compare 
the  monolithic  temples  of  Nubia  with  those  of  Mahabali- 
poor,  the  excavations  of  Guerfeh  Hassan  with  those  of 
Elephanta,  and  the  grottoes  of  Hadjur  Silsili  with  the  caverns 
of  Ellora,  to  be  convinced  that  these  sacred  monuments  of 
ancient  days  derived  their  origin  from  the  same  source.* 

It  is  universally  admitted  that,  if  we  except  the  ancient 
inhabitants  of  Egypt,  there  is  no  aboriginal  people  of  Africa 
who  have  so  many  claims  to  our  attention  as  the  Ethio- 
pians, a  nation  which,  from  the  remotest  times  to  the 
present,  has  been  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  celebrated 
and  the  most  mysterious.  In  the  earliest  traditions  of 
nearly  all  the  civilized  tribes  of  the  East,  the  name  of  this 
remarkable  section  of  mankind  is  to  be  found  ;  and  when 
the  faint  glimmering  of  fable  gives  way  to  the  clearer  light 
of  history,  the  lustre  of  their  character  is  still  undiminished. 
They  continue  the  object  of  curiosity  and  admiration  ;  and 
we  discover  that  the  most  cautious  and  intelligent  writers  of 
Greece  hesitated  not  to  place  them  in  the  first  ranks  of 
knowledge  and  refinement.  The  praise  bestowed  upon 
them  by  Homer  is  familiar  to  the  youngest  reader.     He 

*  View  of  Ancient  and  Modern  Egypt,  (Family  Library),  p.  23. 


INTRODUCTION*.  19 

describes  them,  not  only  as  the  most  distant  of  the  human 
race,  but  also  as  the  most  righteous  and  best  beloved  by 
the  gods.  The  inhabitants  of  Olympus  condescended  to 
journey  into  their  happy  land,  and  partake  of  their  feasts  ; 
while  their  sacrifices  were  declared  to  be  the  most  agreeable 
that  could  be  offered  to  them  by  the  hands  of  mortals.  In 
the  Iliad,  Thetis  informs  her  son  that 

"  The  sire  of  gods  and  all  th'  ethereal  train, 
On  the  warm  limits  of  the  farthest  main, 
Now  mix  with  mortals,  nor  disdain  to  grace 
The  feasts  of  Ethiopia's  blameless  race. 
Twelve  days  the  powers  indulge  the  genial  rite, 
Returning  with  the  twelfth  revolving  light."* — Pope, 

To  what,  it  has  been  asked,  shall  we  attribute  this  early 
renown  of  one  of  the  most  sequestered  nations  of  the  earth  1 
How  did  its  fame  penetrate  the  formidable  desert  with 
which  it  is  surrounded,  and  which  even  now  presents  an 
almost  insuperable  bar  to  every  one  who  attempts  to  reach 
its  ancient  capital  1  To  suppose  the  allusions  contained  in 
the  foregoing  passage  to  be  the  mere  offspring  of  the  poet's 
fancy,  will  not  be  allowed  by  any  reader  who  is  at  all  ac- 
quainted with  the  nature  of  early  tradition.  But  if  they  are 
more  than  fiction, — if  the  reports  concerning  this  wonderful 
people  are  founded  in  truth, — then  they  become  of  the 
greatest  importance  to  ancient  history,  and  possess  the 
strongest  claims  to  our  notice. T 

But  it  must  not  be  concealed  that  considerable  ambiguity 
attaches  to  the  term  Ethiopian ;  because  it  was  applied  by 
all  classes  of  writers  among  the  Greeks,  not  so  much  to 
denote  a  country  bounded  by  certain  geographical  limits,  as 
to  describe  the  complexion  of  the  inhabitants,  whatever 
might  be  their  position  with  respect  to  other  nations.  It 
will  not  seem  strange,  therefore,  that  we  find  Ethiopians 
scattered  over  a  considerable  part  of  the  ancient  world. 
Africa,  no  doubt,  contained  the  greater  portion  of  them ; 
but  it  is  equally  true  that  a  large  tract  of  Asia  was  occupied 
by  a  race  who  bore  the  same  designation  ;  and  as  India 
was  often  made  to  comprise  the  southern  division  of  the 
former  continent,  so,  in  like  manner,  Ethiopia  was  frequently 

*  Zeus  yap  t-'  u>K£avov  fi£r'  anvnovag  AldioTrrjag.- — Lib.  i.  v.  123. 
t  Heeren's  Historical  Researches,  vol.  i.  p.  294. 


20  INTRODUCTION. 

described  as  including  Southern  India.  Homer,  who  seems 
to  have  collected  all  the  fragments  of  historical  and  geogra- 
phical knowledge  which  were  scattered  among  the  learned 
of  his  age,  recognises  the  distinction  now  explained,  and 
speaks  of  the  Ethiopians  as  extending  from  the  rising  to 
the  setting  of  the  sun. 

"  But  now  the  god,  remote  a  heavenly  guest. 
In  Ethiopia,  graced  the  genial  feast 
(A  race  divided,  whom,  with  sloping  rays, 
The  rising  and  descending  sun  surveys) ; 
There  on  the  world's  extremest  verge  revered    i 
With  hecatombs  and  prayer,  in  pomp  preferr'd, 
Distant  he  lay."  * 

The  ancient  historians  were  wont  to  divide  the  Africans 
into  two  great  classes,  the  Libyans  and  the  Ethiopians  ;  to 
whom  Herodotus  adds  the  Greeks  and  Phenicians,  who  as 
settlers  occupied  the  northern  coasts.  This  division  was 
generally  followed  by  succeeding  writers,  although  with 
little  accuracy  in  the  use  of  names  ;  and  while  we  admit 
that  there  might  be  no  real  difference  in  the  lineage  of  the 
two  principal  families  now  pointed  out,  it  is  at  least 
manifest  that  they  presented  to  the  eye  of  the  Grecian 
geographers  such  peculiarities,  especially  in  the  colour  of 
the  skin,  as  seemed  to  justify  the  discrimination  which  we 
find  established  in  their  works.  But  it  is  obvious,  at  the  same 
time,  that  there  was  a  greater  affinity  between  the  Ethio- 
pians on  the  eastern  shores  of  the  Arabian  Gulf  and  those 
on  the  African  side,  than  between  these  last  and  the  other 
swarthy  tribes  in  the  interior  of  Libya.  Herodotus,  indeed, 
observes  that  the  Asiatics  have  straight  hair,  while  such  as 
dwell  above  Egypt  have  it  very  much  curled.  It  is  certain, 
however,  that  all  the  black  inhabitants  of  Africa  do  not  dis- 
play this  quality  ;  for  many  of  the  natives  of  the  Upper 
Nile,  though  their  skins  are  of  a  very  dark  hue,  have  hair 
resembling  that  of  Europeans,  being  neither  curled  nor 
woolly. 

The  father  of  history  mentions  a  circumstance  which  is 
not  less  true  at  the  present  time  than  it  was  at  the  remote 
period  in  which  he  lived.  He  relates  that,  in  the  extensive 
district  which  stretches  from  the  first  cataract  to  Sennaar, 

*  Atdioirac,  rot  6i%da  SeScuarat,  eaxaToi  avbp&v 
'Oi  fitv  dvoonivov  vtrcpiovos,  li  6'  aviovroi;. — Odysx,,  lib.  v.  23- 


INTRODUCTION.  21 

there  were  two  different  classes  of  inhabitants,  very  easily 
distinguished  from  each  other.  The  one,  described  by  him 
as  aboriginal,  be  includes  under  the  general  appellation  of 
Ethiopians  ;  while  the  other,  which  appeared  to  have  sprung 
from  an  Arabian  race,  must  have  removed  into  the  country 
at  an  early  epoch,  where  they  continued,  even  in  his  day,  to 
follow  a  wandering  mode  of  life.  That  such  was  the  case 
under  the  Persian  government  is  evident  from  what  we  are 
told  respecting  the  army  of  Xerxes,  whom  they  must 
have  attended  in  his  expedition  into  Greece.  The  Arabians 
and  Ethiopians  are  associated  by  the  historian  under  one 
leader.  "  Arsanes,  son  of  Darius  by  Artystone  a  daughter 
of  Cyrus,  commanded  the  Arabians  and  the  Ethiopians 
who  came  from  beyond  Egypt."*  In  later  times  the  Arabs 
seem  to  have  possessed  a  still  larger  portion  of  Nubia,  and 
to  have  occupied  the  banks  of  the  Nile  from  Philae  to  the 
neighbourhood  of  Meroe  ;  a  fact  which  is  confirmed  by  Pliny, 
on  the  authority  of  Juba,  the  Numidian  king,  who  wrote  a 
work  on  the  geography  of  Africa,  f 

It  would  now  be  extremely  difficult  to  draw  a  precise  line 
of  distinction  between  the  original  tribes  and  those  whose 
lineage  might  perhaps  be  traced  to  the  Arabian  immigrants. 
The  latter  have  not  only  dwelt  in  the  land  more  than  two 
thousand  years,  and  mingled  freely  with  the  older  stock, 
but  their  language  also  has  been  so  generally  adopted  by 
the  natives,  that  it  can  no  longer  be  employed  as  a  decisive 
characteristic.  Heeren  is,  however,  of  opinion  that  all  who 
do  not  speak  Arabic  must  be  aboriginal,  as  he  considers  it 
very  improbable  that  the  Asiatic  settlers  would  exchange 
their  more  improved  tongue  for  the  rude  dialect  of  barbarous 
hordes,  to  whom,  in  all  respects,  they  would  naturally  con- 
sider themselves  superior.  But  no  one,  who  views  all  the 
difficulties  of  the  case,  will  maintain  that,  after  the  lapse  of 
twenty-three  centuries,  tbe  line  of  descent  can  be  otherwise 
marked  than  by  those  physiological  qualities  in  feature  and 
form  which  neither  length  of  time  nor  the  most  intimate 
mixture  can  altogether  obliterate. 

From  the  discoveries  made  by  recent  travellers  in  the 
western  parts  of  Africa,  it  is  no  longer  doubtful  that  there 

*  Herodotus,  book  \ii.  c.  69.  t  Heeren,  vol,  i.  p.  306. 


22  INTRODUCTION. 

has  existed  in  it,  from  very  ancient  times,  a  numerous 
people  who  arc  neither  Moors  nor  negroes.  Hornemann 
and  Lyon  have  made  us  acquainted  with  two  nations  in 
that  quarter,  who  appear  to  have  possessed  all  the  vast 
range  of  country  which  stretches  from  the  shores  of  the 
Mediterranean  to  the  banks  of  the  Joliba.  They  are  indeed 
divided  into  many  tribes  ;  but  all  speak  the  same  language 
which  is  entirely  different  from  the  Arabic,  and  is  found,  in 
fact,  to  be  no  other  than  that  which  is  used  by  the  Berbers 
in  the  Atlas  Mountains.  With  regard  to  their  colour, 
though  it  certainly  is  not  uniform,  the  difference  seems  to 
depend  in  a  great  measure  on  the  place  of  abode  and  the 
manner  of  living;  and,  properly  speaking,  it  amounts  to 
nothing  more  than  a  mere  variation  of  tint,  which  is  lighter  or 
darker  according  to  circumstances.  The  western  portion  of 
this  race  are  white,  as  far  as  the  climate  and  their  habits  will 
allow  it.  Others  are  of  a  yellow  cast,  like  the  Arabs  ; 
some  are  swarthy  ;  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Soudan 
there  is  a  tribe  which  is  said  to  be  completely  black.  Their 
lineaments,  however,  do  not  at  all  resemble  those  of  the 
negro.  They  are  slimly  made,  and  rather  tall.  Commerce 
is  their  principal  occupation,  which  they  carry  on  between 
the  interior  and  the  countries  bordering  on  the  northern 
coast.  Their  moral  character  has  been  favourably  estimated ; 
and  it  is  thought  that,  if  their  talents  were  duly  cultivated, 
they  would  probably  become  one  of  the  first  nations  in 
the  world.* 

The  account  of  Hornemann  is  confirmed  by  Captain  Lyon, 
who  asserts  that  the  Tuaricks,  one  of  the  tribes  here  al- 
luded to,  are  the  finest  race  of  men  he  ever  saw  ;  tall, 
straight,  and  handsome,  with  a  certain  air  of  independence 
which  is  very  imposing.  They  are  generally  white  ;  the 
dark-brown  of  their  complexion  being  only  occasioned  by 
the  heat  of  the  climate.  Their  weapons  are  a  long  sword 
and  a  dagger,  without  which  no  one  is  ever  seen  abroad,  and 
an  elegant  spear  highly  ornamented  and  sometimes  made 
entirely  of  iron.  Their  language  has  been  already  described 
as  the  Berber,  which  they  maintain  to  be  very  ancient,  and 
i«  still  spoken  extensively  in  Western  Africa. 

The   Tibboos    are    a   different    people   from   that    now 

*  Hornemann,  p.  129. 


INTRODUCTION.  23 

described,  in  appearance,  manner  of  living,  and  even  in 
language.  Their  colour  is  a  bright  black  ;  but  their  features 
partake  not  in  the  smallest  degree  of  the  negro  character. 
They  have  aquiline  noses,  fine  teeth,  and  lips  formed  like 
those  of  Europeans.  In  the  language  of  Herodotus,  how- 
ever, they  would  be  included  among  Ethiops;  having  the 
dark  skin,  which,  in  his  estimation,  formed  tbe  distinguish- 
ing mark  of  all  the  nations  to  whom  he  applied  that  term. 

It  is  probable  that  the  Nubians,  those  at  least  who  do  not 
boast  an  oriental  extraction,  are  of  the  same  race  with  the 
ancient  Berbers,  the  progenitors  of  the  Tuaricks,  and  per- 
haps of  the  Tibboos.  They  were  not  known  by  their  pres- 
ent name  till  the  era  of  the  Grecian  kings  of  Egypt.  It 
is  first  mentioned  by  Eratosthenes ;  and  soon  afterward 
came  into  common  use,  both  as  a  general  denomination  for 
all  the  tribes  dwelling  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile  from  Es 
Souan  to  Meroe,  and  also  in  a  more  limited  sense  for  the 
inhabitants  of  the  modern  Dongola.  Their  language,  of 
which  Burckhardt  has  given  us  some  specimens,  is  quite 
different  from  the  Arabic  ;  and  in  this,  as  well  as  in  their 
external  appearance,  they  present  an  affinity  to  the  natives 
of  the  Arabian  peninsula.  They  are  of  a  dark-brown 
colour,  with  hair  somewhat  curled,  either  by  nature  or  art, 
but  not  at  all  woolly.  Their  visage  has  no  resemblance  to 
the  negro  physiognomy.  The  men  are  well  formed,  strong 
and  muscular,  with  fine  countenances.  They  are  very 
thinly  clad  ;  but  are  all  armed  with  a  spear  five  feet  long,  a 
dagger,  and  a  large  shield  made  of  the  skin  of  the  hippopot- 
amus.* 

In  ascending  the  Nile  we  meet  with  several  other  tribes, 
who,  it  is  very  probable,  either  belong  to  the  Nubian  race, 
or  derive  their  descent  from  a  common  origin.  They 
possess  good  forms  and  features,  manifest  a  warlike  dispo- 
sition, and  carry  into  the  field  of  battle  the  same  kind  of 
weapons  which  were  used  by  their  remote  ancestors. 
They  commonly  fight  on  horseback,  and  are  armed  with  a 
double-pointed  spear,  a  sword,  and  a  large  buckler.  Hence 
the  fine  passage  in  the  book  of  Jeremiah  :  "  Come  up,  ye 
horses  ;  and  rage,   ye  chariots  ;  and   let  the  mighty  men 

*  Burckhardt's  Travels  in  Nubia,  p.  144.  Wadding  ton  and  Hanbury, 
Travels  in  Ethiopia,  p.  5'J. 


24  INTRODUCTION. 

come  forth  :  the  Ethiopians  and  the  Libyans,  that  handle 
the  shield."* 

When  the  traveller  who  has  reached  the  junction  of  the 
two  great  branches  of  the  Jsile  turns  his  face  eastward  in 
the  direction  of  the  Arabian  Gulf,  he  finds  his  notice 
attracted  to  a  variety  of  tribes  whose  genealogy  it  is 
extremely  difficult  to  determine.  The  Abyssinians,  properly 
so  called,  are,  we  may  presume,  the  descendants  of  a 
people  who  at  various  times  have  migrated  from  the  oppo- 
site shores  of  the  Red  Sea,  and  who,  in  pursuit  of  commerce, 
or  of  a  safe  retreat  from  powerful  enemies,  disputed  with 
the  natives  the  possession  of  their  singular  country.  But 
we  refrain  from  entering  into  details  on  this  subject,  as  we 
shall  have  a  better  opportunity  in  the  next  chapter  for 
considering  the  geographical  relations  of  the  several  states 
which  extend  from  Masuah  to  the  borders  of  Sennaar. 
We  shall  therefore  at  present  only  bestow  a  few  remarks  on 
an  hypothesis,  illustrated  with  not  less  ingenuity  than 
learning  by  Heeren,  in  regard  to  the  early  civilization  and 
commerce  of  the  African  nations,  especially  the  inhabitants 
of  Meroe,  Thebes,  and  their  dependent  colonies  at  Ammo- 
nium, Adule,  Azab,  and  Axum. 

It  is  established  by  the  clearest  testimony  of  ancient 
history,  that  at  a  very  remote  period  the  Ethiopians  carried 
on  a  considerable  trade,  in  which  the  Arabians,  long  known 
as  navigators  and  voyagers  to  India,  bore  a  prominent  part, 
as  might  indeed  be  inferred  from  the  relative  position  of  the 
several  countries.  Of  this  international  traffic  in  the 
southern  regions  the  strongest  evidence  still  remains ;  and 
there  is  no  doubt  that  the  gold  of  Africa,  the  spices  of  India, 
and  precious  productions  of  Arabia,  occupied  the  laborious 
carriers  of  the  desert  long  before  the  date  of  our  histo- 
rical records.  The  prophet  Isaiah  notices  the  commerce  of 
the  Egyptians  and  Ethiopians,  in  a  manner  which  renders 
it  perfectly  clear  that  these  celebrated  nations  had  already 
enriched  themselves  by  their  exertions  in  this  branch  of 
indnstry.  "  The  labour  of  Egypt,  and  merchandise  of 
Ethiopia,  and  of  the  Sabeans,  men  of  stature,  shall  come 
over  unto  thee,  and  they  shall  be  thine."t 

*  Chap.  xlvi.  9.  t  Chap.  xlv.  14. 


INTRODUCTION.  25 

Commerce  and  religion,  we  are  reminded  by  the  author, 
were  always  indissolubly  connected  in  the  East.  The 
long  journeys  in  the  desert,  and  the  marauding  habits  of 
the  roving  barbarians  by  whom  the  wilderness  was  infested, 
rendered  some  spiritual  influence  necessary  for  its  protec- 
tion ;  and  hence  it  is  presumed  that  mercantile  transac- 
tions were  usually  conducted  in  the  vicinity  of  temples,  and 
sometimes  within  their  walls.  "  Mecca  remains  still, 
through  its  holy  sanctuary,  the  chief  mart  for  the  com- 
merce of  Arabia."  The  situation  of  Nubia  has  always 
made  it  the  grand  route  for  caravans  between  Ethiopia  and 
the  countries  on  this  side  of  the  desert.  At  the  present 
day  a  communication  of  that  kind  is  maintained  across  the 
waste  from  Upper  Egypt  to  Sennaar  and  Atbar,  the  ancient 
Meroe.  This  was  indeed  the  natural  emporium  for  the 
produce  of  Inner  Africa ;  being  the  extreme  point  of  the 
gold-countries  towards  the  land  of  the  Pharaohs,  while,  from 
its  proximity  to  Arabia  Felix,  it  constituted  the  most  appro- 
priate mart  for  goods  conveyed  from  the  remoter  East. 

Of  the  vast  trade  still  carried  on  there  modern  travellers 
have  given  us  ample  accounts  ;  observing  at  the  same  time 
that  the  great  salt-works,  whence  the  surrounding  country 
is  supplied,  are  but  at  a  short  distance  from  Shendy.  The 
commerce  with  Egypt  being  established,  it  is  manifest  that 
Meroe  must  have  extended  its  traffic  far  into  the  south  of 
Africa ;  and  M.  Heeren  is  even  inclined  to  doubt  whether 
the  extensive  ruins  at  Axum,  Azab,  Meroe,  and  Adule, 
really  belonged  to  cities,  supposing  them  rather  to  have  been 
extensive  places  of  trade,  adorned  with  temples,  and  appro- 
priated to  caravans, — an  hypothesis  to  which  he  is  led  by 
the  nature  of  the  country,  and  the  wandering  life  pursued 
by  its  inhabitants.  In  a  word,  the  conclusions  which  he 
draws  from  a  minute  examination  of  all  the  notices  which 
history  has  preserved  relative  to  those  ancient  states  are, 
that  a  commercial  intercourse  existed  between  Southern 
Asia  and  Africa,  between  India  and  Arabia,  and  thence 
between  these  countries  and  Ethiopia,  Libya,  and  Egypt, — 
that  its  principal  seat  for  Africa  was  Meroe,  the  chief  route 
of  which,  he  thinks,  is  still  pointed  out  by  a  chain  of  ruins 
extending  from  the  shores  of  the  Indian  sea  to  the  Mediter- 
ranean,— that  Adule,  Axum,  and  Azab  were  links  of  it 
between  Arabia  and  Meroe  ;  and  that  Thebes  and  Ammo- 
C 


2(3  INTRODUCTION. 

mum  united  the  Nile,  Egypt,  and  Carthage, — and,  finally, 
that  its  chief  stations  were  sacerdotal  establishments,  the 
head  of  which  was  Meroe,  whence  all  the  colonies  were 
sent  out.  Hence  he  draws  an  inference,  which  will  not  be 
hastily  questioned  by  any  competent  judge,  that  the  first 
seats  of  commerce  were  also  the  first  seats  of  civilization. 
Exchange  of  goods  led  to  exchange  of  ideas ;  and  by  this 
collision  of  mind  was  first  struck  out  the  sacred  flame  of 
humanity.* 

The  connexion  between  merchandise  and  the  usages  of 
religion  was  not  confined  to  the  wandering  tribes  of  Africa, 
but  may  be  traced  throughout  the  ancient  world  wherever 
men  collected  in  great  numbers  to  celebrate  the  rites  of  a 
national  faith.  As  the  adoration  presented  to  the  gods  was 
not  thought  complete  without  the  addition  of  more  expen- 
sive offerings,  the  worshipper  repaired  not  to  the  stated 
festival  unless  accompanied  with  beasts  for  sacrifice,  or  with 
frankincense  and  other  spices  to  perfume  the  air.  The 
vicinity  of  a  temple  was  thus  naturally  converted  into  a 
market,  more  especially  at  the  holy  seasons  of  the  year. 
In  the  sacred  Scriptures  the  reader  will  discover  numerous 
facts  which  establish  the  view  now  given  of  the  relation 
between  commerce  and  piety.  Even  the  consecrated  fane 
at  Jerusalem  was  contaminated  by  the  presence  of  dealers, 
who  sought  their  own  advantage  rather  than  the  honour  of 
the  Great  Being  whom  they  professed  to  venerate.  A 
similar  abuse  was  long  tolerated  in  the  Christian  church  ; 
and  hence  most  of  the  periodical  transactions  of  a  commer- 
cial nature  became  associated  with  the  names  of  the  more 
popular  saints.  Every  one  knows  that  the  fericz,  or  holy- 
days  of  the  Roman  communion,  supplied  the  term  for  our 
fairs  in  all  the  counties  of  Great  Britain. 

There  is  accordingly  no  small  appearance  of  truth  in  the 
observations  of  Heeren  relative  to  the  mutual  influence  of 
religion  and  traffic  among  barbarous  tribes.  The  sight  of 
a  magnificent  temple  in  the  wilderness  secured  at  once  a 
demand  and  a  protection  for  the  commodities  which  the  wan- 
dering merchantmen  brought  from  afar.  It  may  still  remain 
a  question,  whether  the  sanctuary  was  erected  for  the 
assurance  of  the  caravan ;  or  whether  the  Arab  and  Ethio- 

*  Historical  Researches,  vol.  i.  p.  475. 


INTRODUCTION.  27 

pian  bent  their  course  through  the  desert  in  a  line  indicated 
by  those  religious  establishments.  But  there  can  he  no 
reasonable  ground  for  doubt  that  the  dwellers  on  both 
shores  of  the  Red  Sea  respected  the  worship  of  Jupiter 
Amnion,  as  the  means  whereby  they  at  once  added  to  their 
wealth  and  secured  their  acquisitions. 

We  must  not  neglect  to  mention  that  the  nomadic  tribes, 
who  continue  to  carry  on  the  trade  between  Egypt  and 
Abyssinia,  appear  in  the  same  character  in  one  of  those 
triumphant  pageants  which  Ptolemy  Philadelphus  exhibited 
on  his  accession  to  the  throne.  When  the  procession  of 
the  Nubian  caravan  appeared,  "  there  came,"  says  an 
ancient  writer,  "  a  train  of  camels,  carrying  three  hundred 
pounds  of  frankincense,  crocus,  cassia,  and  cinnamon, 
together  with  two  hundred  pounds  of  other  costly  spices  and 
drugs.  These  were  followed  by  a  host  of  Ethiopians  armed 
with  lances  ;  one  band  of  these  bore  six  hundred  elephants' 
teeth,  another  two  thousand  pieces  of  ebony,  and  another 
sixty  vessels  of  gold,  silver,  and  gold-dust." 

But  the  appearance  of  Indian  produce  in  the  western 
world  was  familiar  to  all  classes  of  men  long  before  the 
days  of  the  Grecian  kings  of  Egypt.  The  spices  of  the 
East,  especially  cinnamon,  come  as  early  before  us  as  the 
Mosaical  records  ;  and  in  such  quantities,  too,  as  plainly 
show  that  they  must  already  have  formed  an  important 
article  of  commerce.  The  holy  oil  of  the  sanctuary  required 
the  following  ingredients  :  "  Moreover  the  Lord  spake  unto 
Moses,  saying,  Take  thou  also  unto  thee  principal  spices, 
of  pure  myrrh  five  hundred  shekels,  and  of  sweet  cinnamon 
half  so  much,  even  two  hundred  and  fifty  shekels,  and  of 
sweet  calamus  two  hundred  and  fifty  shekels,  and  of  cassia 
five  hundred  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary,  and 
of  oil-olive  an  hin.  And  thou  shalt  make  it  an  oil  of  holy 
ointment,  an  ointment  compound  after  the  art  of  the  apoth- 
ecary :  it  shall  be  an  holy  anointing  oil."* 

The  reader  will  observe  that  most  of  the  ingredients 
specified  in  this  sacred  order  were  derived  from  the  shores 
of  Hindostan,  and  must  have  been  objects  of  commerce 
among  the  traders  of  Arabia,  who  repaired  thither  in  ships, 
year  after  year,  to  exchange  for  them  the  commodities  of 

*  Exodus  xxx.  22,  23,  24,  25. 


28  INTRODUCTION. 

their  own  land,  as  well  as  of  Ethiopia  and  the  more 
southern  parts  of  the  African  continent.  In  the  history  of 
the  patriarch  Joseph,  mention  is  incidentally  made  of  the 
same  traffic  carried  on  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  desert,  the 
progeny  of  Ishmael.  The  earlier  annals  of  this  intercourse, 
which  connected  in  the  bonds  of  mutual  benefit  and  intel- 
ligence the  most  cultivated  nations  of  the  ancient  world, 
are  irrecoverably  lost ;  and  it  is  in  vain  that  we  attempt  by 
conjecture  or  investigation  to  supply  their  absence.  The 
facts  of  which  we  are  in  possession  justify  a  retrospect  of 
not  less  than  four  thousand  years,  if  we  follow  the  light  of 
that  scriptural  chronology  which  has  obtained  the  sanction 
of  nearly  all  the  learned  ;  and  our  researches  are  thereby 
removed  to  a  period  when  the  nations  of  Europe  had  not 
even  begun  to  assume  a  settled  form,  or  to  dispute  with  one 
another  the  territory  on  which  the  foundations  of  their 
power  were  afterward  to  be  laid. 

In  tracing  the  progress  of  civilization  in  Egypt,  we 
arrived  at  results  which  argued  a  very  high  antiquity.  We 
found  reason  to  ascribe  to  the  Pharaohs  of  the  eighteenth 
dynasty  the  gigantic  labours  of  Thebes,  and  the  magnificent 
palaces  which  adorned  either  side  of  the  Nile  in  that  stu- 
pendous capital.  What  an  astonishing  era  of  art,  fully  two 
thousand  years  before  the  Augustan  age  at  Rome  ! 

But  the  vast  works  at  Karnac,  Luxor,  and  Medinet  Abou 
are  much  less  ancient  than  the  buildings  which  have  been 
discovered  above  the  Cataracts.  The  eye  of  science  has 
recently  been  invited  to  countries  which  stretch  southward 
along  the  Upper  Nile,  and  to  examine  the  memorials  of 
kingdoms  whose  names  have  not  yet  been  enrolled  in  the 
eternal  tablets  of  history.  In  Nubia  and  Ethiopia,  says  a 
foreign  writer,  numerous  and  primeval  monuments  proclaim 
so  loudly  a  cultivation  contemporary,  ay  earlier  than  that  of 
Egypt,  that  it  may  be  conjectured  with  the  greatest  confi- 
dence that  the  arts,  sciences,  and  religion  proceeded  from 
Nubia  to  the  lower  country  of  Mizraim  ;  that  civilization 
descended  the  Nile,  built  Memphis,  and,  finally,  somewhat 
later,  wrested  by  colonization  the  Delta  from  the  sea.  From 
Meroe  and  Axum  downwards  to  the  Mediterranean,  there 
arose,  as  is  testified  by  Diodorus,  improved  and  powerful 
states,  which,  though  independent  of  each  other,  were  con- 


INTRODUCTION.  29 

nected  by  the  same  language,  the  same  writing,  and  the 
same  religion.* 

Thus  we  find,  that  in  proportion  as  we  ascend  into  the 
early  ages  of  human  history  the  closer  becomes  the  con- 
nexion between  Egypt  and  Ethiopia.  The  Hebrew  writers 
seldom  mention  the  one  without  the  other  ;  and  the  inhab- 
itants of  both  are  usually  described  as  a  commercial  people. 
When  Isaiah  celebrates  the  victories  of  Cyrus,  their  sub- 
mission is  spoken  of  as  his  most  magnificent  reward. 
When  Jeremiah  extols  the  great  victory  of  Nebuchad 
nezzar  over  Pharaoh-Necho  at  Carchemish,  the  Ethiopians 
are  allied  to  the  Egyptians  ;  and  when  Ezekiel  threatens 
the  downfall  of  Egypt,  he  unites  it  with  the  most  distant 
Ethiopia.  WThence  this  general  and  early  spread  of  a  name 
which  glimmers  in  the  oral  history  of  so  many  nations,  and 
which  is  renowned  as  well  by  Jewish  poets  as  by  Grecian 
bards  ]  Whence  this  fame  of  the  Ethiopians,  while  the 
deserts  which  surrounded  their  land  seemed  to  form  an 
eternal  barrier  between  them  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 
north  1  These  questions  cannot  be  satisfactorily  answered, 
except  by  allowing  the  early  civilization  which  history  and 
tradition  unite  in  ascribing  to  the  sacerdotal  states  that 
sprang  from  Meroe. 

We  are  not  ignorant  that,  in  maintaining  the  obligations 
of  Egypt  to  the  more  ancient  Ethiopia  for  her  learning, 
civilization,  and  knowledge  of  the  arts,  we  have  to  encounter 
the  opposition  of  several  learned  writers,  whose  opinions  on 
this  subject  have  been  determined  by  an  inspection  of  the 
Nubian  valley.  It  is  obvious,  no  doubt,  that  the  narrow 
limits  of  the  latter  country,  hemmed  in  between  a  double 
range  of  barren  mountains,  which  occasionally  protrude 
their  rocks  to  the  very  margin  of  the  river,  could  not  have 
supplied  the  means  of  luxurious  refinement  to  a  great  nation. 
But  it  is  equally  certain,  on  the  other  hand,  that  beyond 
the  confines  of  Nubia  there  are  extensive  and  most  fertile 
regions,  which,  aided  by  the  periodical  overflow  of  the  Nils 
and  the  influence  of  a  tropical  sun,  were  capable  of  sup- 
porting in  the  utmost  comfort  a  very  large  population. 
Besides,  Ethiopia,  from  her  natural  position,  surrounded  by 
deserts  which  no  stranger  could  penetrate,  and  by  mountains 

*  Lcttres  <le  Turin. 
C2 


30  INTRODUCTION. 

almost  inaccessible,  enjoyed  a  degree  of  security  highly 
favourable  to  her  progress  in  the  liberal  arts  ;  while  the 
adventurous  inhabitants  of  the  contiguous  wildernesses,  who 
carried  on  her  trade,  connected  her  with  Arabia  and  India 
on  the  one  hand,  and  with  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean 
on  the  other.  It  was  not  perhaps  till  the  days  of  Solomon 
that  the  Red  Sea  was  uesd  as  the  channel  of  trade  for  Syria 
and  Palestine,  when  the  mariners  of  Arabia  had  acquired 
sufficient  confidence  to  navigate  all  the  gulf,  and  to  visit  the 
shores  of  the  ocean  beyond  the  straits.  Prior  to  that 
period  the  rich  produce  of  the  East  was  conveyed  by  the 
erratic  hordes  of  the  desert,  who,  preferring  the  short  pas- 
sage at  Azab  or  Masuah,  pushed  forward  with  their  loads 
to  the  upper  regions  of  the  Nile. 

The  possession  of  wealth  lays  the  best  foundation  for 
learning  and  the  arts  ;  and  the  perusal  of  ancient  history 
will  convince  every  reader,  that  in  the  early  stages  of 
society  these  are  devoted  to  the  decoration  and  advancement 
of  religion.  The  stately  temple  is  seen  to  rise  long  before 
any  attention  is  paid  to  the  comforts  of  private  life ;  and 
the  precious  metals,  as  well  as  the  richest  spices  and 
perfumes,  are  lavished  on  the  instruments  of  worship,  while 
as  yet  the  blessings  of  civilization  are  very  sparingly  enjoyed 
by  the  mass  of  the  people.  On  this  subject,  instead  of  en- 
tering into  details  unsuited  to  the  nature  of  our  undertaking, 
we  refer  to  the  Essay  by  Heeren  on  the  Trade  of  the  African 
Nations. 


GEOGRAPHICAL    OTTTT.INFS,    FTC  31 


CHAPTER  II. 

Geographical  Outlines  of  Nubia  and  Abyssinia. 

Plan  to  be  followed  in  this  Chapter— Nubian  Valley— Sterility— Former 
Cultivation — Dondour — Derr— Ibrim— Wady  Haifa— Second  Cataract 
—Beauty  of  Country'  in  Dongola— Benefits  of  the  Nile — Temple  of 
Soleb — Elegance  of  the  Building— Kingdom  of  Merawe — Gebel  el 
Berkal— El  Belial — Hypothesis  in  regard  to  Meroe — Opinions  of 
Ptolemy,  Herodotus,  Strabo— Sheygyans — Ishmael  Pasha— Third 
Cataract — Berber — Shendy  el  Garb — Shendy — Junction  of  the  White 
and  Blue  Rivers— Sennaar— Climate — Inhabitants — Manufactures — 
Expeditions  by  the  Troops  under  the  Pasha— Bravery  of  the  Natives 
— Description  of  the  City  of  Sennaar — Advance  of  Egyptian  Army  into 
Fazoglo— El  Queribyn— Kilgou— Singueh— Conflicts  "with  the  Natives 
at  Taby  and  Gassi — Reception  at  Fazoglo — Return  to  Sennaar— 
Aquaro — River  Toumat — Quamamyl — Ishmael  disappointed  as  to  Gold 
and  Slaves — Poncet's  Account  of  Sennaar — Abyssinia — Its  Extent 
— Political  Geography — Kingdoms  and  Provinces — Amhara— Tigre— 
Shoa,  and  the  Eastern  Coast. 

It  is  our  intention  to  consider  as  one  country  the  exten- 
sive space  which  is  bounded  by  the  Nile  on  the  west,  and 
the  Red  Sea  on  the  east ;  and  which,  when  measured  from 
south  to  north,  has  for  its  limits  the  tenth  and  twenty-fourth 
degrees  of  latitude.  In  this  compass  we  necessarily  include 
Nubia,  Dongola,  Sennaar,  and  Abyssinia,  the  states  of  the 
Shangalla,  as  well  as  the  wild  districts  inhabited  by  the 
ancient  Troglodytes  and  Fish-eaters.  There  is,  it  must  be 
acknowledged,  a  considerable  diversity  in  the  lineage  of  the 
people,  their  history,  speech,  and  religious  usages  ;  but  at 
the  same  time  they  possess  so  many  things  in  common,  that 
it  appears  much  more  convenient  to  place  them  under  one 
point  of  view  than  to  interrupt  the  narrative  by  a  detail  of 
minute  distinctions.  We  shall  therefore,  in  delineating  the 
geographical  distributions  of  this  large  portion  of  Eastern 
Africa,  ascend  the  Nile  in  the  footsteps  of  the  best-informed 
travellers,  until  we  reach  the  boundaries  of  recent  discovery 
in  the  southern  provinces  of  the  kingdom  of  Sennaar  ;  and, 
after  turning  to  the  bank  of  the  Blue  River,  make  our  pro- 


32  GEOGRAPHICAL  OUTLINES  OF 

gress  eastward  through  Abyssinia  to  the  shores  of  the  ocean 
and  the  Arabian  Gulf. 

No  sooner  does  the  traveller  pass  the  cataract  of  Es  Souan 
than  he  finds  himself  in  Nubia,  a  country  of  which  it  is 
now  impossible  to  fix  the  precise  extent.  Indeed,  we  cannot 
otherwise  define  it  than  by  saying,  that  it  occupies  the 
valley  of  the  Nile  from  Phila?  to  Dongola,  and  is  bounded  on 
either  side  by  formidable  deserts,  which  can  only  be  crossed 
by  large  bodies  of  men  assisted  by  that  useful  animal  the 
camel.  The  first  section,  which  terminates  at  Ibrim,  has 
been  so  long  subject  to  Egypt  that  it  is  usually  known  as 
Turkish  Nubia  ;  but  we  are  told  that  the  natives  of  the 
upper  country,  who  roam  in  comparative  independence  as 
far  as  the  second  cataract,  restrict  the  proud  name  to  their 
own  land,  which,  till  lately,  spurned  the  dominion  of  every 
foreign  sword. 

For  a  considerable  distance  above  Syene,  the  mountains 
press  so  closely  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  that  there  is  very 
little  ground  on  either  side  for  the  purposes  of  agriculture  ; 
and  the  small  portion  that  is  suitable  for  raising  a  crop  is 
continually  threatened  by  the  approach  of  the  sand  which 
the  winds  of  the  desert  carry  towards  the  stream.  From 
the  structure  of  the  valley,  through  which  the  Nile  here 
forces  a  passage,  it  is  obvious  that  there  could  not  at  any 
time  have  been  an  extensive  population.  The  labour  of 
man  would  have  exerted  its  powers  in  vain  against  the 
sterility  of  nature,  which  amid  rocks  and  shingle,  occupies, 
by  an  everlasting  tenure,  a  wide  domain  in  the  Lower 
Nubia.  But  beyond  the  parallel  of  Wady  Haifa,  as  we 
have  already  remarked,  there  is  ample  space  for  the  great 
nations  which  are  said  to  have  flourished  in  Ethiopia.  At 
the  southern  termination  of  the  second  cataract  immense 
plains  stretch  out  from  the  margin  of  the  river,  manifesting 
even  in  their  present  neglected  state  the  most  unequivocal 
symptoms  of  a  prolific  soil. 

Nor  can  there  be  any  doubt  that,  in  former  ages,  the 
annual  inundation  carried  its  riches  much  beyond  the  limits 
of  modern  cultivation.  The  rock}'  barriers,  which  now 
scarcely  oppose  an  obstacle  to  navigation,  must  at  one 
period  have  checked  the  current  so  materially  as  to  throw 
back  the  water  on  all  the  level  land  on  both  sides  of  the 
contiguous  valley.     The  voice  of  tradition  in  this  case  is  not 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  33 

to  be  altogether  despised.  On  the  contrary,  we  must  believe 
that  there  was  some  ground  for  the  descriptions  of  the 
ancient  historians,  who  represent  the  falls  of  the  Nile  as 
accompanied  with  a  great  rush  and  a  deafening  noise  ; 
indicating  that  the  rocky  shelves,  which  have  been  broken 
and  washed  down  by  the  weight  of  the  yearly  flood,  extended 
from  bank  to  bank  at  a  considerable  elevation.  Even  in  the 
northern  district  of  Nubia,  where  the  dominion  of  the 
desert  is  now  indisputably  established,  the  sources  of  fertility 
would  be  much  greater  than  in  our  days  ;  and  indeed,  with- 
out assuming  the  means  of  supporting  an  affluent  people,  we 
shall  find  no  small  difficulty  in  accounting  for  the  costly 
temples  and  other  edifices,  the  remains  of  which  may  be 
traced  from  Elephantine  to  Sennaar. 

The  first  five  miles  after  leaving  Philse,  the  course  of  the 
navigator  is  south-by-east,  then  it  turns  towards  the  west, 
and  finally  resumes  the  former  direction.  The  first  object 
that  attracts  his  attention  is  Debode,  a  village  situated  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  river,  where  are  the  ruins  of  a  small  temple. 
Here  the  Nile  flows  in  a  regular  deep  stream,  for  the  most 
part  washing  the  base  of  the  eastern  and  western  moun- 
tains ;  but  wherever  the  inundation  has  covered  the  rocks 
with  soil,  or  has  even  thrown  up  mounds  of  sand  and  mud, 
such  spots  are  cultivated  and  planted  with  date-trees.  A 
succession  of  hamlets  meet  the  eye  on  both  sides  as  the 
traveller  proceeds  into  the  Nubian  valley  ;  but  few  of  them 
are  of  so  much  consequence  as  to  deserve  our  notice.  Don- 
dour  is  remarkable  for  a  small  temple,  still  in  considerable 
preservation,  of  which  a  distinct  idea  may  be  formed  by 
examining  the  drawing  inserted  in  Mr.  Legh's  amusing 
narrative.  The  greater  part  of  the  enclosure  is  quite 
perfect  and  the  propylon  also  is  very  little  injured  ;  but  the 
inside,  it  would  appear,  has  never  been  completed.  There 
are  two  columns,  which  must  have  formed  the  entrance  into 
the  building,  and  which  are  ornamented  with  serpents.  The 
inner  shrine,  or  sekos,  consists  as  usual  of  three  apart- 
ments ;  the  first  measures  eighteen  feet  in  length  and 
twenty  in  breadth ;  the  columns  are  three  feet  in  diameter, 
and  the  height,  ascending  to  the  top  of  the  cornice  is  nearly 
seventeen  feet.  The  winged  globes  on  the  architraves  of 
the  temple  and  propylon  are  supported  in  the  wonted  man- 
ner by  two  serpents.     The  hieroglyphics  are  relieved  and 


34  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

sculptured  in  a  good  style,  showing  the  common  objects — 
priests  with  jugs  offering  to  Isis,  and  Osiris,  who  is  repre- 
sented with  the  hawk's  head,  and  carrying  a  crosier  in  his 
hand.  Behind  the  structure  is  a  small  grotto,  which  has 
the  appearance  of  a  later  date,  and  is  most  probably  to  be 
attributed  to  the  early  Christians  ;  there  being  an  inscrip- 
tion with  the  characters  A-\-R  among  the  fragments  which 
are  found  in  the  area.* 

These  ruins,  however,  are  surpassed  in  magnificence  and 
interest  by  those  of  Guerfeh  Hassan  and  Sibhoi,  of  which 
the  relics  are  yet  sufficiently  entire  to  enable  a  scientific  eye 
to  delineate  their  plan  and  determine  their  object.  It  is 
justly  observed,  that  the  period  when  these  edifices  were 
constructed  is  a  matter  of  pure  conjecture  ;  but  it  has  been 
remarked,  at  the  same  time,  that  the  most  striking  difference 
between  the  temples  above  and  below  the  Cataracts  is  the 
high  state  of  preservation  of  the  stones  and  outward  walls 
of  the  former,  which  have  scarcely  suffered  from  the  effects 
of  age.  From  this  circumstance,  it  might  at  first  sight  be 
supposed  that  these  remains  of  antiquity  were  more  recent 
than  the  temples  in  Egypt ;  but  that  opinion  is  not  war- 
ranted by  any  other  evidence.  It  would  be  difficult,  indeed, 
by  any  reasonable  allowance  in  dates,  to  account  for  the  fact 
now  stated ;  and  the  real  cause,  it  is  probable,  must  be 
sought  in  the  mild  unchanging  climate  which  prevails 
between  the  tropics.  The  corroding  hand  of  time  works 
very  slowly  in  the  absence  of  frost  and  rain,  and  of  those 
extreme  variations  of  the  atmosphere  which,  in  the  zones 
called  temperate,  wage  an  incessant  war  with  all  the  works 
of  human  art.t 

Derr,  which  is  at  present  considered  the  capital  of  Lower 
Nubia,  is  the  residence  of  a  chief  who,  while  he  acknow- 
ledges a  nominal  subjection  to  the  Pasha  of  Egypt,  seizes 
every  opportunity  of  setting  his  authority  at  naught.  The 
name  just  used,  however,  seems  to  apply  to  a  district  rather 
than  a  town  or  any  particular  collection  of  houses  ;  and  the 
abode  of  the  governor  himself  can  only  be  distinguished  by 
having  in  its  vicinity  a  few  mud  cottages,  and  a  somewhat 


*  Legh's  Narrative  of  a  Journey  in  Egypt  and  the  Countries  beyond 
the  Cataracts,  p.  142. 
\Jb<d.   p.  150. 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  35 

denser  population.  But  his  power,  in  the  absence  of  law, 
and  supported  by  three  thousand  barbarian  troops,  is  ex- 
tremely formidable.  Plundered  himself  from  time  to  time 
by  the  agents  of  the  supreme  government,  he  extorts  a 
revenue  from  his  miserable  subjects  at  the  point  of  the 
spear.  He  is  constantly  surrounded  by  more  than  three 
hundred  armed  slaves,  ready  to  execute  any  order  of  capri- 
cious cruelty  which  he  may  be  pleased  to  issue  ;  for  as  his 
soldiers  are  his  own  property,  purchased  from  the  dealers 
of  Dongola  or  Sennaar,  they  are  in  his  hands  the  most 
passive  instruments  whether  for  good  or  for  evil.  Jealous 
of  interference  or  inspection,  he  dreads  the  approach  of 
strangers.  When  Mr.  Legh  and  his  friend  Mr.  Smelt  made 
their  journey  into  his  district,  it  was  with  the  utmost  reluc- 
tance that  he  allowed  them  to  proceed  beyond  Derr.  He 
began  by  asking  in  a  very  boisterous  manner  what  they 
wanted,  and  why  they  had  come.  It  was  in  vain  they 
replied,  that  they  were  desirous  to  pay  their  respects  to  him, 
and  to  see  the  remains  of  antiquity  with  which  his  country 
abounded.  He  answered  that  there  was  nothing  curious  to 
see;  but  "  I  suppose,"  he  added,  "  you  are  come  to  visit  the 
tombs  of  your  ancestors  ?"  They  then  solicited  permission 
to  go  to  Ibrim,  which  he  flatly  refused  ;  alleging  first  there 
was  no  object  there  worthy  of  their  attention,  and  next  that 
he  had  no  horses  to  convey  them.  In  short,  it  was  not  until 
his  obstinacy  had  been  subdued  by  the  present  of  a  hand- 
some sword  that  he  yielded  his  consent  to  their  farther 
progress. 

The  town  which  the  travellers  were  so  desirous  to  visit 
is  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Nile,  at  the  southern  ex- 
tremity of  a  ridge  of  mountains,  rising  in  some  parts  per- 
pendicularly from  the  river,  so  as  scarcely  to  leave  room  for 
a  road.  It  stands  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  hill,  having  a 
citadel,  which,  being  built  on  the  summit,  must  formerly  have 
been  a  strong  position.  Its  height  has  been  estimated  at 
about  two  hundred  feet  above  the  current,  which  washes  the 
foot  of  the  rock  whereon  it  is  placed,  and  is  at  this  point 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  broad.  The  walls  that  enclosed 
the  fortress  and  the  governor's  house  can  still  be  traced  with 
ease.  But  no  inhabitant  now  remains  ;  not  a  vestige  of  life 
is  to  be  seen  within  its  boundaries.  The  destruction  of 
Ibrim  by  the  Mamlouks,  when  they  passed  into  Dongola, 


36  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

had  been  so  complete  that  not  even  one  solitary  native  was 
to  be  found  wandering  among  its  ruins,  nor  so  much  as  a 
date-tree  to  indicate  that  it  was  once  the  abode  of  human 
beings.  Burckhardt  informs  us  that  those  savage  horsemen 
carried  away  about  twelve  hundred  cows,  all  the  sheep  and 
goats,  and  imprisoned  the  most  respectable  people,  for  whose 
ransoms  they  received  upwards  of  a  hundred  thousand  Span- 
ish dollars.  On  their  departure  they  put  the  aga  to  death, 
after  having  devoured  or  destroyed  all  the  provisions  they 
could  find.  This  scene  of  pillage,  as  might  have  been  ex- 
pected, was  followed  by  a  dreadful  famine.        , 

Ibrim  is  said  to  be  the  ancient  Primmis,  and  the  account  of 
it  given  by  Strabo,  as  fortified  by  nature,  is  confirmed  by  the 
actual  appearance  of  the  place.  But  when  this  geographer 
states  that  the  Romans,  in  marching  from  Pselcha  or  Ka- 
labshe,  passed  over  the  mounds  of  sand  under  which  the 
army  of  Cambyses  was  buried,  he  is  imagined  to  be  at 
variance  with  Herodotus,  who  relates  that  the  host  of  the 
Persian  monarch,  when  surprised  by  the  clouds  of  moving 
dust,  was  proceeding  to  chastise  the  Ammonians.  Hence 
it  is  inferred  that  their  route  must  have  lain  in  a  direction 
quite  contrary  to  that  of  the  Romans  under  Petronius,  who 
was  sent  to  punish  the  Ethiopians  for  an  irruption  into  the 
Thebaid.  These  remarks,  however,  are  founded  on  the  as- 
sumption that  the  Ammonians  must  necessarily  be  the  in- 
habitants of  the  particular  district  of  Libya  where  the  cele- 
brated temple  of  Jupiter  was  erected  ;  whereas  there  is 
reason  to  believe  that  a  sanctuary,  dedicated  to  the  same 
god  under  the  character  of  Amnion,  stood  in  the  peninsula 
of  Meroe  near  Shendy,  the  principal  seat  of  the  Ethiopians. 
It  is  therefore  not  at  all  improbable  that  the  troops  of  Persia 
and  of  Rome  followed  the  same  line  of  march.  Near  the 
town  of  Moscho  there  is  still  a  position  known  by  the  name 
of  Cambysis  jErariam — the  treasury  of  Cambyses, — while 
it  is  admitted  that  the  legions  advanced  as  far  as  JVapata,  a 
station  considerably  farther  to  the  south. 

The  space  between  Ibrirn  and  the  second  cataract  presents 
no  interest  but  such  as  may  be  attached  to  its  ancient  build- 
ings, more  especially  the  temple  of  Ebsamboul,  which  we 
shall  hereafter  describe  with  some  degree  of  minuteness. 
The  obstruction  in  the  river,  occasioned  by  numerous  rocks 
and  small  islands,  which  begins  at  Wady  Haifa,  continues 


NUBIA  AND  ABYSSINIA.  37 

about  a  hundred  miles,  and  in  the  low  6tate  of  the  flood  put? 
a  stop  to  all  such  vessels  as  cannot  be  partly  carried  overland 
on  men's  shoulders.  The  falls  vary  according  to  the  period 
of  the  inundation  ;  a  fact  which  may  to  a  certain  extent  ex- 
plain the  discrepancy  between  the  several  authors  whose 
works  have  been  recently  given  to  the  world,  and  who  re- 
ceived very  different  impressions  in  the  vicinity  of  the  prin- 
cipal cataract.  One  tells  us  that  the  declivity  was  so 
trifling  that  the  descent  of  the  stream,  so  far  from  creating 
a  rushing  noise,  could  hardly  be  perceived  by  the  eye  ; 
while  another  assures  us  that  it  was  heard  in  the  night  at 
the  distance  of  about  half  an  hour,  or  nearly  two  miles. 
Burckhardt,  whose  statement  we  have  just  copied,  adds,  that 
the  valley  is  very  romantic  ;  that  when  the  inundation  sub- 
sides many  small  lakes  are  left  among  the  rocks  ;  and  that 
the  banks  of  these,  overgrown  with  large  tamarisks,  have  a 
picturesque  appearance  among  the  black  and  green  stones. 
The  tract  is  called  the  Dar  el  Hadjar  or  Batn  el  Hadjar, 
the  district  of  cliffs  or  bed  of  shelves. 

An  American  who  engaged  in  the  service  of  Ishmael 
Pasha  during  the  expedition  to  Dongola  and  Sennaar,  and 
who  has  published  an  interesting  narrative  of  his  voyage  up 
the  Nile,  begs  his  readers  to  remember  that  what  is  called 
the  second  cataract  is  properly  a  succession  of  swift  rapids, 
which,  as  we  have  already  observed,  extend  fully  a  hundred 
miles  from  Wady  Haifa  to  Sukkot.  He  counted  nine  of 
these  ;  some  of  which,  particularly  the  second,  fifth,  seventh, 
and  ninth,  were  very  dangerous  to  pass,  although  the  river 
had  subsided  but  a  few  feet.  Before  his  party  arrived  at 
the  fifth,  called  the  Shellal  of  Ambigool,  two  boats  were 
wrecked  against  the  rocks  which  crowd  the  channel ;  and 
before  they  could  pass  the  ninth,  the  Shellal  of  Dal,  several 
accidents  of  the  same  kind  took  place.  To  clear  these  two  falls, 
it  was  necessary  to  employ  about  a  hundred  men  to  drag  the 
boats  one  after  another  against  the  current.  At  the  former 
the  stream  is  interrupted  by  a  ledge  of  rocks  reaching  nearly 
across,  over  which  it  precipitates  itself.  Between  this 
shelve,  indeed,  and  the  western  shore,  there  is  a  practicable 
passage,  wide  enough  to  allow  a  boat  to  be  hauled  up  the 
current,  which  here  runs  very  furiously.* 

*  Narrative  of  Expedition,  p.  5. 
D 


38  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

Near  the  upper  part  of  the  second  cataract  the  country 
becomes  extremely  beautiful  and  fertile  ;  verifying  all  the 
reports  respecting  the  excellence  of  the  soil  in  the  provinces 
beyond  Nubia.  In  some  places  the  river  is  not  less  than 
five  or  six  miles  broad,  enclosing  numerous  islands  on  which 
agricultural  produce  might  be  increased  to  almost  any 
amount.  The  scenes  of  verdure  on  the  left  bank  far  surpass 
the  finest  views  of  rural  magnificence  in  the  Said,  while  the 
mode  of  culture  is  not  inferior  to  that  pursued  in  the  most 
improved  districts  of  the  Lower  Nile.  The  author  of  the 
Narrative  asserts  that  some  of  the  grounds  watered  by  the 
stream  might,  by  the  hands  of  enlightened  industry,  be 
made  capable  of  producing  every  thing  which  the  art  of  man, 
operating  upon  a  fine  soil  under  a  soft  climate,  could  pos- 
sibly effect.  Many  parts  of  Dongola  exhibit  the  same  rich 
qualities,  and  present  the  same  hopes  to  the  farmer  ;  and,  in 
short,  it  is  manifest  that  nothing  besides  a  good  government 
is  required  to  render  those  extensive  districts  the  abode  of 
plenty,  contentment,  and  civilization. 

The  Nile  has  with  justice  been  represented  as  one  of  the 
wonders  of  the  globe.  Its  course  has  been  compared  to  the 
path  of  a  good  man  amid  a  wicked  generation.  It  passes 
through  a  desert,  dry,  barren,  and  hideous  ;  on  the  portions 
of  which,  contiguous  to  its  banks,  it  deposites  the  richest 
soil,  which  it  continually  waters  and  nourishes.  This  gift 
has  been  the  source  of  subsistence  to  several  powerful  nations, 
who  have  established  and  overthrown  mighty  kingdoms,  and 
have  originated  the  arts,  the  learning,  and  the  refinement  of 
the  greater  part  of  the  ancient  world.  Those  nations — in- 
structed and  pupils — have  perished  ;  but  the  remains  of 
their  stupendous  labours,  the  pyramids  and  the  temples  of 
Egypt,  Nubia,  Dongola,  and  Meroe,  are  more  than  sufficient 
to  excite  respect  for  the  great  people  who  founded  them. 

Under  this  impression  a  voyage  up  the  Nile  may  be  con- 
sidered as  presenting  an  epitome  of  the  life  of  man.  We  meet 
at  almost  every  stage  with  the  monuments  of  his  tyranny,  his 
superstition,  or  his  luxury,  but  with  few  memorials  of  his 
talents  directed  to  the  improvement  and  protection  of  his  fel- 
low-creatures. We  also  everywhere  perceive  the  traces  of  Al- 
mighty justice  on  his  crimes.  On  the  banks  of  this  ancient 
river  we  behold  cities,  once  famous  for  power  and  wealth,  re- 
duced to  a  heap  of  sand  like  the  wilderness ;  and  temples,  once 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  39 

renowned,  and  colossal  idols,  at  one  time  feared,  now  pros- 
trate, and  confounded  with  the  dust  of  the  worshippers. 
The  flocks  lie  down  in  the  midst  thereof;  the  cormorant  and 
bittern  lodge  in  the  towers  and  palaces :  their  voice  sings 
in  the  windows,  and  desolation  is  in  the  thresholds.  The 
Nile,  meantime,  which  has  seen  so  many  generations  rise 
and  disappear,  still  moves  onward  to  distribute  its  fertilizing 
fluid  to  the  countries  on  its  borders  ;  like  the  good  Provi- 
dence, which  seems  unwearied  in  trying  to  overcome  the 
ingratitude  of  man  by  the  many  favours  it  bestows  upon  him. 

At  a  considerable  distance  above  the  second  cataract  the 
traveller  encounters  the  rapids  of  Doolga,  where  the  river 
again  becomes  embarrassed  with  rocks  and  small  islands. 
Navigation  is  so  much  impeded  by  these  obstructions  that 
hardly  any  attempt  is  made  to  render  it  the  medium  of  com- 
merce on  the  confines  of  Shendy,  or  in  that  extensive  reach 
which  terminates  at  the  borders  of  Sennaar.  But  between 
these  two  cataracts  there  are  many  objects  that  demand 
attention ;  among  which,  in  order  to  diversify  our  nar- 
rative, we  shall  submit  to  the  reader  a  brief  account  of  the 
temple  of  Soleb,  as  also  of  the  remarkable  peninsula  in- 
closed by  a  bend  of  the  Nile,  and  known  as  the  modern 
Merawe. 

Near  the  parallel  of  the  twenty-first  degree  of  latitude, 
and  about  four  hundred  paces  from  the  western  bank,  stand 
the  ruins  of  the  magnificent  fane  just  mentioned.  In  ad- 
vancing towards  it  the  eye  is  first  attracted  by  an  elevated 
stone  foundation  thirty  feet  in  thickness,  extending  in  front 
of  the  temple,  and  of  equal  length  with  the  portal. 

The  remains  of  two  sphinxes  are  seen  at  either  side  of 
the  approach,  where  there  was  a  staircase  which  led  to  the 
main  building,  now  in  a  state  of  complete  dilapidation. 
The  front  of  the  portal,  of  which  only  a  part  is  left,  is  about 
a  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet  long  ;  and  the  width  of  the 
steps  is  not  less  than  fifty-seven  feet.  The  wall,  which  is 
twenty-four  feet  thick,  is  not  solid,  but  contains  a  variety  of 
cells,  set  apart,  it  may  be  presumed,  for  a  variety  of  uses, 
no  longer  obvious  to  the  uninitiated. 

The  first  chamber  is  more  than  a  hundred  feet  in  breadth, 
and  eighty-nine  in  depth  ;  round  three  sides  of  which  runs 
a  single  row  of  pillars,  while  on  the  fourth  there  are  indi- 
cations  of  a   double    row  ;    making   in   the   whole   thirty 


40  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

columns,  of  which  seven  are  still  standing  and  perfert. 
They  seem  all  to  have  been  executed  from  the  same  model  ; 
the  diameter  of  the  base  being  sixty-seven  inches,  and  the 
height  about  forty  feet.  They  are  inscribed  with  hierogly- 
phics only,  and  exhibit  no  figures  which  can  properly  be 
referred  to  the  hand  of  the  sculptor. 

There  is  a  second  chamber,  in  which  it  is  still  possible  to 
trace  a  row  of  twenty-four  pillars  resembling  those  in  the 
first ;  but  their  fragments  are  scattered  about  in  every  di- 
rection. The  very  bases  of  some  of  them  are  rooted  up, 
and  the  mud-foundation  on  which  they  stood  is  completely 
exposed.  So  entire  yet  so  partial  a  ruin,  it  is  remarked, 
can  only  be  attributed  to  the  sudden  yielding  of  the  ground  ; 
for  an  earthquake  would  not  have  spared  the  columns  which 
remain  in  other  parts  of  the  edifice. 

It  is  difficult  to  ascertain  the  dimensions  of  the  adytum, 
as  no  trace  of  the  side-walls  can  be  detected,  and  only  a  few 
feet  of  the  one  which  had  formed  the  remote  end  of  that 
splendid  sanctuary.  It  is  manifest,  however,  that  it  must 
have  contained  twelve  pillars,  and  not  more,  and  of  these 
there  are  three  still  entire.  The  rest  have  fallen  chiefly 
towards  the  Nile,  under  the  assault  of  their  powerful  enemy 
the  desert ;  and  even  one  of  those  which  stand  is  already 
bo  much  inclined  in  the  same  direction  that  it  must  shortly 
take  a  place  beside  the  others.  The  lower  parts  of  all  the 
columns  bear  representations  of  figures  about  three  feet 
high,  of  which  the  inferior  half  is  concealed  by  a  tablet  in- 
scribed with  hieroglyphics.  They  are  executed  in  the  very 
best  style,  as  are  all  the  sculptures  remaining  in  the  temple, 
though  in  some  places  they  have  not  been  finished.  Among 
these  Jupiter  Amnion  appears  twice  ;  and  to'  him  it  is  more 
than  probable,  that  the  whole  structure  was  originally  dedi- 
cated. 

Mr.  Waddington  observes,  that  the  temple  of  Soleb 
affords  the  lightest  specimen  he  had  anywhere  seen  of 
Egyptian  or  Ethiopian  architecture.  The  sandstone,  of 
which  most  of  the  columns  are  composed,  is  beautifully 
etrsaked  with  red,  giving  them  from  a  distance  a  rich  and 
glowing  tint.  As  the  walls  have  almost  entirely  disappeared, 
and  the  roof  fallen  in,  there  remains  no  ponderous  heap  of 
masonry  to  destroy  the  effect  of  these  beautiful  pillars,  backed 
by  the  mountains  of  the  desert  or  the  clear  blue  horizon. 


D  2 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  43 

Here  the  man  of  taste  does  not  contemplate  a  gloomy  edifice, 
where  heaviness  is  substituted  for  dignity,  height  for  sub- 
limity, and  size  for  grandeur,  nor  measures  a  pyramidal  mass 
of  stone-work,  climbing  up  to  heaven  in  defiance  of  nature  and 
propriety.  "  We  seemed,"  says  the  traveller  just  named, 
"  to  be  at  Segesta,  at  Phigalea,  or  at  Sunium,  where  lightness, 
and  colour,  and  elegance  of  proportion,  contrasted  with  the 
gigantic  scenery  about  them,  make  the  beauty  of  the  build- 
ings  more  lovely,  and  their  durability  more  wonderful. 
There  is  no  attempt  to  imitate  or  rival  the  sublimity  that 
surrounds  them  ;  they  are  content  to  be  the  masterpieces  of 
art,  and  therefore  they  and  nature  live  on  good  terms 
together,  and  set  off  each  other's  beauty.  Those  works 
that  aim  at  more  than  this,  after  exhausting  treasuries,  and 
costing  the  life  and  happiness  of  millions,  must  be  satisfied 
at  last  to  be  called  hillocks."* 

Upon  inspecting  the  map  of  Nubia  it  will  be  observed,  that 
at  a  point  near  Old  Dongola  the  river  turns  towards  the 
north-east,  and  gives  an  insular  form  to  a  large  extent  of 
land  distinguished  as  the  province  or  kingdom  of  Merawe. 
In  this  tract  (here  are  some  magnificent  monuments  near  the 
spot  which  is  supposed  to  have  contained  the  ancient  capital. 
For  example,  there  are  the  remains  of  seven  temples,  of 
which  the  largest  is  450  feet  long  (almost  equal  to  St.  Paul's) 
by  159  broad.  The  principal  apartment  is  147  feet  by  111, 
and  the  next  is  123  by  102.  This  edifice  is,  generally 
speaking,  in  a  very  ruined  state  ;  and  some  of  the  materials 
are  in  so  confused  and  shattered  a  position  as  to  indicate 
that  they  had  been  broken  down  and  unskilfully  replaced. 
The  other  temples  are  of  much  smaller  dimensions,  but 
several  of  them  more  perfectly  preserved  ;  and  in  two,  most 
of  the  chambers  are  excavated  in  the  solid  rock.  This  is 
part  of  a  lofty  eminence,  called  Gebel  el  Berkal,  or  the  Holy 
Mountain,  along  the  foot  of  which  all  the  monuments  are 
erected.  Here  are  also  seventeen  pyramids,  while  at  El 
Belial,  seven  miles  farther  up  the  river,  there  is  a  more  nu- 
merous and  lofty  range  of  these  structures,  none  of  which, 
however,  rival  those  of  Memphis.  A  general  character  of 
ruin  pervades  the  whole,  and  some,  indeed,  are  reduced  to 
masses  of  mere  rubbish  ;  a  state  which  seems  at  least  partly 

*  Journal  of  a  Visit  to  some  Parts  of  Ethiopia,  p.  290, 


44  GEOGRAPHICAL     OUTLINES    OF 

owing  to  the  friable  nature  of  the  sandstone  used  by  their 
architects.  The  sculptures  and  ornaments  which  can  still 
be  traced  bear  marks  of  very  different  periods  of  art ;  some 
being  extremely  rude  and  others  nearly  as  perfect  as  any  in 
the  palaces  of  Egypt. 

The  examination  of  these  monuments,  whether  temples 
or  pyramids,  has  led  to  an  ingenious  hypothesis  relative  to 
the  site  of  the  ancient  Meroe,  which  is  maintained  with  a 
considerable  show  of  argument  and  learning  in  a  popular 
journal.  It  is  well  known,  that  all  the  ancient  authorities 
describe  the  geographical  position  of  the  Ethiopian  capital 
as  an  island  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  Nile  with  the 
Astapus  or  river  of  Abyssinia,  and  with  the  Astaboras,  which 
is  undoubtedly  the  modern  Tacazze,  still  called  Atbara. 
The  city  of  Meroe,  then,  if  it  stood  in  the  country  bounded 
by  the  two  latter  rivers,  must  necessarily  have  been  above 
the  point  at  which  they  unite  ;  a  conclusion  fully  confirmed 
by  the  direct  statement  of  Eratosthenes.  Near  Shendy 
accordingly,  forty  miles  above  that  junction,  there  has  been 
discovered  a  range  of  buildings  and  pyramids  of  very  con- 
siderable extent  and  magnificence.  Bruce  in  his  journey 
observed  some  of  them,  and  threw  out  a  conjecture  that 
they  marked  the  site  of  Meroe,  and  thereby  led  to  the  natural 
inference,  that  the  kingdom  recorded  in  history  under  the 
same  name  must  have  had  its  territory  between  the  Tacazze 
and  the  Blue  river.  The  judgment  of  the  Greek  geographer 
and  of  the  Scottish  traveller  have  hitherto  provailed  against 
every  other  supposition.  It  is  insinuated,  indeed,  that  M. 
Cailliaud  and  Mr.  Waddington  were  not  perfectly  satisfied 
with  the  arguments  of  their  predecessors ;  but  further  con- 
sideration, or  an  unwillingness  to  oppose  an  impression 
almost  universal,  has  induced  them  to  acquiesce  in  the  more 
common  conclusion. 

But,  says  the  author  to  whom  we  have  alluded,  "  notwith- 
standing so  great  a  concurrence  of  authorities,  we  cannot 
but  think  it  pretty  clear  that  the  city  of  Meroe  was  not  at 
Shendy  but  at  Merawe,  and  that  the  kingdoms  of  the  same 
name  coincide  ;  though  Meroe  in  its  glory  probably  extended 
to  Dongola  on  the  one  side  and  Shendy  on  the  other."* 

The  first  coincidence,  it  is  remarked,  is  that  of  name, 

*  Edinburgh  Review,  vol.  xli.  p.  190. 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  45 

which  is  complete  ;  for  both  Burckhardt  and  W aldington 
observe,  that  the  modern  term,  though  written  Merawe,  has 
the  precise  sound  of  Meroe.  Resemblance  of  name,  it  is 
admitted,  is  often  accidental,  though  strict  identity  is  very 
seldom  so  ;  and  amid  the  general  change,  it  is  still  common, 
especially  in  those  unfrequented  tracts  of  Africa,  that  great 
capitals,  as  Axum,  Augila,  and  Es  Souan,  for  example, 
should  continue  to  enjoy  their  old  appellations.  At  all 
events,  the  author  concludes,  resemblance,  and,  still  more, 
sameness,  becomes  almost  decisive  when  there  is  a  coinci- 
dence also  of  circumstance  and  situation.  Now  here  we 
have,  bearing  the  name  of  Meroe,  a  capital  presenting  in  its 
vicinity  monuments  that  correspond  exactly  in  character, 
magnitude,  and  antiquity  to  those  which  ought  to  mark  the 
site  of  that  celebrated  metropolis  of  Ethiopia.  There  are  no 
other  ruins  in  that  country  which  can  be  compared  to  these  ; 
for,  according  to  the  measurements  of  Cailliaud,  those  of 
Shendy  are  decidedly  inferior.  The  length  of  the  greatest 
temple  there  is  not  quite  280  feet ;  of  that  at  Merawe  it  is 
450.  The  elevation  of  the  highest  pyramid  at  the  former 
place  is  81  feet ;  of  that  at  the  latter  it  is  103.  Now  all 
the  ancient  accounts  unite  in  representing  Meroe  as  without 
a  rival  among  the  cities  of  Ethiopia  ;  but  if  Shendy  be  Me- 
roe, says  the  reviewer,  there  must  have  been  a  much  more 
splendid  capital  nearer  to  Egypt,  and  yet  unknown  in  Egypt. 
We  have  then,  he  concludes,  a  combination  of  circumstances 
in  favour  of  the  position  of  Merawe,  which  only  the  most 
decided  proof  would  be  sufficient  to  negative. 

Such  proof,  it  is  conceded,  is  with  some  apparent  reason 
supposed  to  exist  in  those  ancient  writings  which  appear 
absolutely  to  require  that  Meroe  must  be  above  the  junction 
of  the  Nile  and  the  Tacazze.  But  it  is  imagined  that  a 
closer  examination  will  probably  alter  our  views  as  to  the 
decisive  nature  of  these  statements.  It  has  never  been  ob- 
served, says  the  reviewer,  that  by  far  the  highest  ancient 
authority  is  in  direct  contradiction  to  them.  To  this  pre- 
eminence Ptolemy  seems  fully  entitled,  from  the  advanced 
era  at  which  he  lived,  the  great  extension  of  communication 
in  his  time,  and,  in  fact,  the  more  accurate  and  detailed  man- 
ner in  which  he  lays  down  his  positions.  His  residence, 
too,  at  Alexandria,  then  the  centre  of  the  commerce  carried 
on  between  Africa  and  the  East,  gives  peculiar  weight  to 


46  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

his  opinions  respecting  Egypt  and  the  surrounding  coun- 
tries.    His  observations  respecting  Meroe  are  as  follows : 

11  Meroe  is  rendered  an  island  by  the  river  Nile  coming 
from  the  west,  and  by  the  river  Astapus  flowing  from  the 
east.     It  contains  these  towns  : 

Ixing.  Lat. 

Meroe  • 01.30*  16.26 

Sacolche 61.40  15.15 

Eser 61.40  13.30 

Village  of  the  Dari 62  12.30 

Then  the  junction  of  the  Nile  and  the  Astapus 61  12 

Then  the  junction  of  the  Astaboras  and  Astapus 62.30  11.30' 

In  this  table  it  is  clear  that  Ptolemy  places  Meroe  far 
below  the  junction  of  the  Nile  with  the  Astapus,  the  As- 
taboras, or  any  great  stream  whatsoever.  He  makes  the  dif- 
ference of  latitude  indeed  much  too  great  ;  but  into  this 
error  he  appears  to  have  been  betrayed  by  extending  his 
itineraries  nearly  in  a  direct  line  up  the  river,  without 
allowing  for  the  circuitous  course  which  it  pursues  above 
Dongola.  Beyond  Meroe  the  knowledge  of  Ptolemy,  it  is 
granted,  becomes  obscure  ;  though  from  Egypt  to  that  point 
he  gives  a  continued  chain  of  geographical  positions,  at  a 
time  when  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  inter- 
course between  the  two  countries  was  frequent.  It  seems 
then  scarcely  possible  that  he  should  have  made  a  mistake 
as  to  this  particular  ;  or  that  so  grand  a  feature  should  have 
escaped  his  notice,  as  that  the  Nile,  which  for  more  than 
three  hundred  leagues  had  not  been  augmented  even  by  a 
rivulet,  receives  below  Meroe  so  mighty  a  tributary  as 
the  Tacazze. 

The  author  of  the  hypothesis  whose  arguments  we  are 
endeavouring  to  abridge  maintains  also  that  the  narrative 
of  Herodotus,  though  less  detailed  than  the  other,  appears 
to  point  to  the  same  spot.  According  to  that  ancient  writer, 
travellers  ascending  the  Nile  above  Elephantine"  journeyed 
first  forty  days  to  avoid  the  cataracts,  then  embarked,  and 
were  conveyed  in  twelve  days  to  Meroe.  The  place  where 
they  took  shipping  was,  he  thinks,  probably  on  the  borders 
of  Dongola,  where  the  long  line  of  rapids  is  found  to  ter- 

*  Longitude  from  Ferro  island,  where  the  first  meridian  used  to  b* 
placed. 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  47 

minate.  From  thence  to  Merawe  twelve  days  would  corres- 
pond with  the  same  rate  of  advancing  ;  whereas,  to  Shendy, 
the  supposed  site  of  the  proper  Meroe,  that  space  of  time 
would  be  much  too  small.  Again,  Meroe  is  stated  by  this 
historian  to  be  midway  between  Egypt  and  the  Land  of 
the  Exiles,  described  by  other  writers  as  an  island  formed 
by  the  Nile,  and  which  the  reviewer  thinks  can  be  no  other 
than  Sennaar,  where  the  Blue  and  White  rivers  give  to  the 
intervening  country  something  of  an  insular  aspect.  Now, 
Merawe,  he  remarks,  is  exactly  at  an  equal  distance  between 
Egypt  and  the  kingdom  just  named,  whereas  Shendy  would 
violate  altogether  the  relation  of  equality  between  the  two 
divisions. 

Further,  Strabo,  following  the  authority  of  Eratosthenes, 
supplies  a  statement  which  seems  to  have  a  reference  to 
Shendy,  and  is,  says  the  reviewer,  the  only  one  that  can 
cause  a  doubt.  But  elsewhere  he  describes  Meroe  as 
"  bounded  upwards  on  the  south  by  the  junction  of  the 
rivers  Astapus,  Astaboras,  and  Astasobus."  This,  he  adds, 
agrees  very  closely  with  our  idea  on  the  subject,  and  is  quite 
contrary  to  that  which  would  represent  the  Astaboras  as 
the  northern  limit  of  Meroe.  His  statement,  also,  that  this 
is  the  last  kingdom  of  the  Ethiopians,  after  which  the 
Nouba?  commence  and  occupy  the  Nile  downwards  to 
Egypt,  is  still  true  only  in  regard  to  Merawe. 

But,  returning  to  the  main  objection,  the  author  is  aware, 
it  will  be  asked,  How  was  the  idea  so  prevalent  among  an- 
cient geographers,  that  Meroe  was  formed  by  the  junction 
of  the  great  rivers, — and  why  does  Ptolemy  himself,  in  the 
title  of  his  chapter,  admit  the  same  notion,  though  his  state- 
ment is  rather  in  contradiction  to  it  ?  The  following  re- 
marks, he  thinks,  will  afford  a  sufficient  explanation  of  the 
manner  in  which  the  mistake  originated. 

All  who  are  conversant  with  the  early  history  of  geography 
must  be  aware  of  the  many  errors  with  which  it  abounds. 
Among  these  none  are  more  frequent  than  such  as  respect 
the  continuous  course  of  great  rivers,  and  the  distinction 
between  islands  and  large  peninsulas.  The  latter  terms, 
indeed,  are  often  used  as  synonymous,  though  perhaps  only 
through  the  influence  of  this  original  blunder.  Now,  the 
reader  need  only  look  at  the  map  of  the  country  here  con- 
sidered as  Meroe,  under  its  modern  name  of  Merawe,  inter- 


48  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

sccted  by  what  might  almost  be  called  three  parallel  branches 
of  the  Nile,  in  order  to  perceive  how  probable  it  is  that  the 
first  imperfect  account  should  represent  it  as  an  island  en- 
closed by  three  separate  rivers.  The  original  opinion,  indeed, 
which  is  still  to  be  found  in  Mela  and  Pliny,  was,  that  the 
Astapus  and  Astaboras  were  branches  of  the  Nile  itself, 
first  separating  and  forming  Meroe  into  a  species  of  delta, 
and  then  reuniting  ;  an  idea'  which  seems  to  have  a  peculiar 
reference  to  the  parallel  streams  of  the  modern  Merawe. 
Then,  after  it  was  found  that  the  Nile  in  this  neighbourhood 
received  some  large  tributaries,  it  was  very  natural  to  con- 
sider them  as  the  river-branches  employed  in  the  formation 
of  Meroe.  The  original  idea  of  it,  as  of  an  island  enclosed 
by  these  streams,  appears  to  have  become  rooted  in  the 
minds  of  geographers,  even  after  they  had  obtained  a  know- 
ledge of  the  facts  by  which  their  opinion  was  directly  con- 
futed.* 

"  Such  are  the  considerations,"  say  the  reviewers,  "  which, 
tii  our  apprehension,  establish  the  identity  of  the  ancient 
with  the  modern  Meroe.  If  the  discussion  has  been  tedious, 
it  should  be  remembered  that  it  involves  not  merely  a 
curious  problem  in  geography,  but  the  site  of  monuments 
calculated  to  throw  light  on  the  arts  and  history  of  one  of 
the  most  celebrated  nations  of  antiquity. "t 

In  describing  the  local  peculiarities  of  Nubia,  we  could 
not  omit  all  notice  of  so  able  an  attempt  to  oppose  the  settled 
opinions  on  this  interesting  point,  although  we  do  not  con- 
cur in  the  conclusions  to  which  the  author  has  permitted 
himself  to  be  carried.  We  can  hardly  imagine  it  possible 
that  any  geographer  who  had  examined  the  country  could 
be  so  far  deceived  by  the  winding  course  of  the  Nile  as  to 
regard  the  several  sections  of  the  stream  which  run  north- 
by-west,  south-west,  and  north,  as  three  separate  and  dis- 
tinct rivers  bearing  different  names.  Besides,  the  ancient 
writers  uniformly  mention  a  junction  of  the  currents  ;  for 
even  Pliny  and  Pomponius  Mela,  to  whose  statement  some 
importance  is  attached  by  the  reviewer,  while  they  coun- 
tenance the  supposition  that  the  Astapus  and  Astaboras 
might  be  branches  of  the  Nile,  relate  most  unambiguously, 
that  they  reunited  with  their  parent  waters, — a  view  of  the 

*  Pom.  Mela.  lib.  ix  e.  10  ;  Plin.  Hist.  Nat.  lib.  ix. 
f  Edinburgh  Review,  vet   xh.  p   193. 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  49 

case  which  necessarily  implies  a  point  of  meeting.  It  is 
obvious,  in  the  next  place,  that  no  one  who  had  observed 
the  direction  of  the  current  in  the  two  portions  of  the  Nile 
which  wash  the  eastern  and  western  shores  of  Merawe, 
could  ever  hold  the  opinion  that  they  anywhere  unite  and 
become  one  river  ;  for  while  on  the  left-hand  it  flows  towards 
the  south-west,  on  the  right-hand  it  runs  nearly  due  north. 
We  may  also  remark,  that  the  Land  of  the  Exiles  is  not 
usually  restricted  to  Sennaar,  but  is  rather  imagined  to  have 
been  situated  near  the  sources  of  the  Abyssinian  river, 
where  the  curvature  of  the  channel  produces  the  appear- 
ance of  an  island.  On  this  supposition,  the  estimate  of 
Herodotus,  who  places  Meroe  at  an  equal  distance  between 
Egypt  and  the  province  occupied  by  the  military  refugees, 
will  apply  with  sufficient  accuracy  to  Shendy,  the  region 
enclosed  by  the  Tacazze  and  the  Bahr  el  Azrek. 

Between  Dongola  and  Merawe,  the  country,  many  parts 
of  which  are  rich  and  beautiful,  is  occupied  by  a  race  of 
men  called  Sheygyans,  remarkable  for  valour  in  the  field  as 
well  as  for  a  roaming  manner  of  life,  and  in  some  respects 
more  allied  to  the  freebooter  than  to  the  agriculturist  or  sol- 
dier. After  being  forced  from  their  lands  by  Ishmael  they 
took  refuge  near  Shendy,  from  which  position,  as  they 
found  him  still  advancing  southwards,  they  sent  messengers 
demanding  terms  of  peace.  The  pasha  replied,  that  the 
only  conditions  on  which  they  could  obtain  their  request 
were,  the  surrender  of  their  horses  and  arms,  and  a  return 
to  their  own  territory,  where  they  were  to  bind  themselves 
to  live  tranquilly,  and  without  disturbing  their  neighbours. 
The  ambassadors  answered  that  they  would  not  give  up 
their  hcgrses  and  arms.  The  Egyptian  commander  rejoined, 
that  he  would  go  to  Shendy  and  take  them  ;  thev  said, 
"Come!" 

It  is  reported,  that  previous  to  the  advance  of  the  Turkish 
force  from  Wady  Haifa,  deputies  from  the  chiefs  of  Sheygya 
arrived  at  the  camp,  to  ask  for  what  reason  the  pasha  me- 
naced them  with  war.  He  replied,  "  Because  you  are  rob- 
bers, who  live  by  disturbing  and  pillaging  the  countries 
around  your  own."  They  observed,  that  they  had  no 
other  means  to  live.  Ishmael  said,  "  Cultivate  your  land, 
and  live  honestly."  They  answered  with  great  simplicity, 
"We  have  been  bred  up  to  live  and  prosper  by  what  you 
E 


50  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

call  robbery  ;  we  will  not  work,  and  cannot  change  our 
manner  of  living."  The  invader  thundered  in  their  ears, 
"  I  will  make  you  change  it  !"  We  shall  hereafter  have 
occasion  to  revert  to  the  history  of  these  undaunted  bar- 
barians ;  meantime  we  trace  the  progress  of  discovery  up- 
wards along  the  course  of  the  Nile,  which  from  Dongola  to 
Sennaar  is  yet  almost  entirely  unknown  to  the  European 
reader. 

In  passing  Merawe  the  river  flows  from  the  north-east, 
and  accordingly,  although  the  traveller  is  ascending  the 
stream,  he  has,  in  fact,  turned  his  back  upon  the  country  to 
which  his  inquiries  are  directed.  As  this  remarkable  curve 
in  the  Nile  was  not  fully  ascertained  till  the  period  when  the 
son  of  the  Egyptian  pasha  made  his  famous  expedition  into 
Sennaar,  we  have  endeavoured  to  assist  the  comprehension 
of  the  reader  by  adjusting  our  map. 

Ishmael  attempted  to  force  his  boats  through  the  obstruc- 
tions of  the  cataract ;  but  every  effort  failed,  except  in  re- 
gard to  those  which  did  not  draw  more  than  three  feet  of 
water.  By  the  assistance  of  all  the  male  population  on  the 
banks,  nine  of  the  class  now  described  were  dragged  as  far 
as  Berber,  after  an  incessant  toil  of  fifty-seven  days.  Mr. 
English,  who  accompanied  the  Turkish  armament,  observes 
that  the  river  is  spotted  with  an  infinity  of  islands  and 
rocks.  In  some  of  the  passages  where  it  was  deep,  the  cur- 
rent was  as  swift  as  a  mill-sluice,  which  made  it  necessary 
to  employ  the  crews  of  perhaps  twenty  boats  to  drag  up 
one  at  a  time.  In  other  places  where  the  water  was  shal- 
low, they  were  sometimes  compelled  to  pull  them  by  main 
force  over  the  stones  at  the  bottom.  He  is  decidedly  of 
opinion,  that  when  the  river  is  full  and  the  flood  strong,  this 
cataract  must  be  almost  impassable  upwards  ;  as,  on  ac- 
count of  the  strange  direction  of  its  course,  little  or  no  aid 
can  be  derived  from  the  wind.  Besides,  the  rush  in  some 
parts,  from  the  straitness  of  the  passages  between  the  rocks 
and  islands,  must  in  the  time  of  the  inundation  be  very 
furious  ;  while,  from  the  natural  obstacles  which  cover  the 
shore,  the  cordel  used  for  dragging  could  hardly  overcome 
the  difficulties  which  would  be  incessantly  presented. 

The  canja  belonging  to  Ishmael, — probably  the  first  boat 
that  ever  passed  the  third  cataract  of  the  Nile, — accomplished 
the  voyage  to  Berber,  after  having  been  lifted  three  times 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  51 

over  impracticable  shallows.  The  natives  had  never  before 
seen  a  vessel  impelled  by  sails.  They  called  it  a  "  water- 
mare  :"  comparing  it  by  this  appellation  to  the  swiftest 
animal  with  which  they  are  acquainted.  They  ran  in  crowds 
to  the  bank  of  the  river  to  see  it  mount  the  current  without 
the  aid  of  oars. 

The  Melek  of  Berber,  whose  name  is  Nousreddin,  ap- 
pears to  occupy  a  moveable  capital,  or  rather  to  select  for 
that  purpose  any  one  of  the  numerous  villages  which  skirt 
the  eastern  side  of  the  Nile.  The  houses  are  built  of  clay, 
and  roofed  with  unhewn  timber  ;  that  of  the  king  is  like 
the  rest,  only  somewhat  larger.  The  country  is  fertile  and 
well  cultivated  ;  abounding  in  dhoura,  cotton,  barley,  fine 
horses,  camels,  dromedaries,  kine,  sheep,  goats,  and  fowls. 
The  natives,  though  resembling  the  Fellahs  of  Upper 
Egypt,  are  not,  generally  speaking,  either  so  handsome  or 
so  well  formed;  and  many  of  them  have  defective  teeth, 
occasioned,  it  is  thought,  by  the  habit  of  chewing  tobaceo, 
which  is  c(  a  very  inferior  quality  in  that  district.  In  their 
deportment  they  are  extremely  mild  and  polite.  Every  man 
you  meet  gives  the  greeting  of  peace,  and  shows  a  disposi- 
tion to  accommodate  the  stranger  in  all  things  reasonable  ; 
an  effect  which  is  ascribed  to  the  circumstance,  that  they 
are  in  a  great  degree  a  commercial  people,  as  Berber  is 
every  year  visited  by  numerous  caravans  from  Abyssinia, 
Sennaar,  Darfur,  and  Kordofan.* 

The  territory  of  Berber  does  not  appear  to  be  very  exten- 
sive, only  stretching  along  the  banks  of  the  river  from  the 
third  cataract  for  about  eight  days' journey  upwards.  On 
the  eastern  side  it  is  separated  from  Shendy  by  the  Bahr 
el  Uswood  or  Black  River.  The  cultivable  land  reaches 
generally  to  the  distance  of  one  or  two  miles  from  the  mar- 
gin of  the  stream,  by  which  it  is  regularly  overflowed  at  the 
season  of  the  inundation,  and  rendered  very  fruitful.  The 
country  contains  abundance  of  salt,  which  the  natives  find 
in  the   hilly  ground  along  the  borders  of  the  desert.     It  is 

*  Narrative  of  Expedition,  p.  112.  We  are  told  by  Mr.  English,  that 
the  ordinary  price  of  a  virgin  wife  in  Berber  is  a  horse,  which  (he  bride- 
groom is  obliged  to  present  to  the  father  of  the  girl  he  demands  in  mar- 
riage. "  I  remember  asking  a  young  peasant  of  whom  I  bought  pro- 
vision one  day,  why  he  did  not  marry  ]  He  pointed  to  a  colt  in  the  yard, 
and  told  me  that  when  the  colt  became  big  enough,  he  should  take  a 
wife."— Narrative,  p.  122. 


52  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

mixed  with  calcareous  earth  which  is  separated  by  washing, 
and  the  usual  process  of  evaporization.  The  metropolis 
which  Nousreddin  honours  with  his  court  appears  to  have 
houses  sufficient  for  a  population  of  five  or  six  thousand  ; 
but  the  actual  inhabitants,  it  is  probable,  seldom  amount  to 
that  number.  The  language  is  Arabic,  perfectly  intelligible 
to  the  natives  of  Egypt,  but  containing  some  words  at  pres- 
ent disused  in  that  kingdom.  There  is  a  mixture  of  He- 
brew terms  in  the  ordinary  speech  of  the  people,  common, 
we  may  presume,  to  both  those  ancient  dialects  ;  and  it  is  a 
remarkable  circumstance,  that  the  chiefs  of  Dongola,  Shey- 
gya,  Berber,  Shendy,  and  Halfaia  should  bear  the  same 
title  which  is  employed  in  the  Jewish  Scriptures  to  designate 
the  petty  sovereigns  of  Canaan. 

On  the  western  side  of  the  Nile,  opposite  to  the  island  or 
peninsula  of  Meroe,  there  is  a  large  village  called  Shendy 
el  Garb, — that  is,  Shendy  on  the  west  bank.  The  road  to 
it  from  Berber  leads  through  a  country  consisting  of  im- 
mense plains  of  fertile  soil,  extending  many  milefe  from  the 
river,  and  for  the  most  part  covered  with  herbage.  There 
are  numerous  hamlets,  situated  at  a  considerable  distance 
from  the  stream,  in  order  to  be  secure  from  the  inundation. 
The  houses  are  generally  built  with  straw  roofs  neatly 
thatched,  and  having  a  decided  slope  ;  a  proof  that  this 
country  is  within  the  reach  of  the  annual  rains.  When 
visited  by  the  Egyptian  army,  the  current  at  El  Garb  was 
much  contracted,  although  its  bed  was  frequently  found  to 
extend  more  than  a  mile  and  a  half  in  breadth.  The  town, 
which  is  respectable  in  its  appearance,  contains  about  six 
thousand  inhabitants,  and  has  three  market-places,  where 
the  people  of  the  country  exchange  their  dollars  and  dhoura 
for  a  variety  of  useful  commodities. 

Shendy,  on  the  east  bank,  is  also  the  capital  of  the  coun- 
try which  surrounds  it,  and  can  boast  of  a  population  not 
less  numerous  than  its  rival  on  the  other  shore.  Large 
areas,  walled  round  for  the  reception  of  the  merchandise 
brought  by  the  caravans,  are  to  be  seen  in  various  parts  of 
the  town  ;  the  streets  are  wide  and  airy  ;  and  regular  mar- 
kets are  established,  where,  besides  meat,  butter,  grain,  and 
vegetables,  are  also  to  be  purchased  spices  imported  from 
Jidda,  gum-arabic,  beads,  and  other  ornaments  for  the 
women.     It  stands  about  half  a  mile  from  the  river,  sur- 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  53 

rounded  by  land  rather  indifferent  in  its  qualities  ;  so  that 
the  place  derives  its  sole  importance  from  being  the  staple 
of  the  traffic,  including  slaves,  which  continues  to  be  carried 
on  between  Sennaar,  Mecca,  and  Egypt. 

This  portion  of  ancient  Ethiopia  possesses  a  great  interest, 
as  connected  with  the  junction  of  the  two  principal  branches 
of  the  Nile,  the  White,  and  the  Blue  rivers, — a  distinction, 
as  will  soon  appear,  that  arises  from  the  very  different 
colour  of  their  waters.  The  latter,  or  Abyssinian  stream,  is 
not  half  as  broad  as  the  other  at  the  point  where  they  meet; 
the  Bahr  el  Abiad  being  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  from 
bank  to  bank.  It  is  also  troubled  and  whitish,  and  has  a 
peculiar  taste  bordering  on  positive  sweetness.  The  Turkish 
soldiers  said  that  "  the  water  of  the  Abiad  does  not  quench 
thirst ;"  a  notion  probably  originating  in  the  circumstance 
that  they  wTere  never  tired  of  drinking  it,  so  Iio-ht  and 
pleasant  was  it  to  the  palate.  The  Bahr  el  Azrek,  or  Nile 
of  Mr.  Bruce,  was  perfectly  pure  and  transparent,  but  by  no 
means  so  agreeable  as  a  beverage  ;  a  fact  which  the  author  of 
the  Narrative  ascertained  by  drinking  first  of  the  one,  and 
then  walking  about  two  hundred  yards  across  the  point  and 
drinking  of  the  other. 

The  Abyssinian  branch  enters  the  Bahr  el  Abiad  nearly 
at  right  angles  ;  bat  such  is  the  mass  of  the  latter  that  the 
former  cannot  mingle  its  waters  with  it  for  many  miles  below 
their  junction  ;  and  as  the  one  is  light-coloured  and  the 
other  dark,  the  eastern  part  of  the  united  river  is  black  and 
the  western  side  white  for  more  than  a  league  after  their 
meeting.  The  latter  colour  is  occasioned  by  a  very  fine  clay 
held  in  a  state  of  suspension,  and  to  which  the  singular  fla- 
vour that  distinguishes  the  Abiad  is  undoubtedly  to  be  as- 
cribed. Below  the  point  of  union  the  Nile  presents  a  truly 
magnificent  spectacle.  Between  Halfaia  and  Shendy  it 
traverses  a  deep  gloomy  defile  formed  by  rocky  hills,  and  runs 
with  considerable  force  about  twelve  or  fifteen  miles.  On 
emerging  from  this  strait  it  again  spreads  itself  out  majest- 
ically amid  immense  plains  bounded  only  by  the  horizon  ;  and 
after  receiving  the  Bahr  el  Uswood,  it  displays  a  current  not 
less  than  two  miles  broad  even  before  the  inundation. 

During  his  stay  in  Sennaar,  the  American  officer  endeav- 
oured to  obtain  information  from  the  people  of  the  country, 
as  well  as  from  the  caravan-merchants  whom  he  happened 
E2 


54  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

to  meet,  in  regard  to  the  two  great  rivers  which  compose 
the  Egyptian  Nile.  He  was  told  that  the  source  of  the 
eastern  or  Abyssinian  branch  is  in  the  Gebel  el  Gumara,  or 
Mountains  of  the  Moon,  about  sixty  days' march  of  a  camel, 
in  a  direction  nearly  south.  It  receives,  at  various  dis- 
tances above  their  city,  several  streams  which  come  from  the 
south  and  east,  taking  their  rise  in  an  alpine  range  that 
stretches  into  the  dominions  of  the  Galla.  The  course  of 
the  Bahr  el  Abiad,  they  assured  him,  is  nearly  parallel  to 
that  of  the  Azrek,  but  that  its  source  is  much  more  remote, 
although,  like  the  other,  among  the  eminences  of  the  Gebel 
el  Gumara.  It  is  also  augmented  by  the  accession  of  a 
number  of  tributaries,  which  issue  from  mountains  southward 
of  Sennaar.  On  his  asking  whether  the  White  River  were 
open  and  free  from  shellals  or  rapids,  they  answered,  that 
at  a  place  called  Sulluk,  about  fifteen  days'  march  above 
Shendy,  there  was  one  which  they  believed  boats  could  not 
pass.  When  he  inquired  whether,  by  following  the  banks 
of  the  said  river,  or  of  the  one  which  empties  itself  into  it 
from  the  west,  it  were  possible  to  re^ch  a  city  called  Tombat 
or  Timbuctoo,  they  replied  that  they  knew  nothing  of 
such  a  place,  having  never  been  farther  west  than  Kordofan 
or  Darfur. 

This  was  all  he  could  learn  ;  but  he  himself  is  disposed 
to  believe  that  the  main  stream  of  the  Abiad  cannot  have  its 
source  in  the  same  latitude  with  the  Azrek  :  because  "it  com- 
mences its  rise  twenty  days  sooner  than  the  other  ;  while 
the  colour  of  its  water  proves  that  it  flows  through  a  tract 
of  country  differing  in  quality  of  soil  from  the  regions  per- 
vaded by  the  eastern  current.  He  is  further  inclined  to  think, 
that  the  Nile  of  Bruce  has  not  its  principal  fountain  in  Abys- 
sinia, but  rather  in  the  lofty  range  assigned  for  its  origin 
by  the  people  of  Sennaar..  On  viewing  the  mass  of  water 
that  passed  downward  while  he  wras  in  the  kingdom  now 
mentioned,  even  before  the  flood  had  attained  two-thirds  of 
the  usual  magnitude  it  acquires  during  the  rainy  season,  he 
thought  it  very  improbable  that  the  main  source  of  such  a 
river  was  not  distant  more  than  three  hundred  miles. 

The  territory  included  between  the  Abiad  and  the  Azrek 
is  usually  called  El  Gezira,  or  the  Island  ;  because,  in  the 
season  of  the  rains,  the   numerous  rivers  which  run  into 


NUBIA    AND   ABYSSINIA.  55 

them  from  the  mountains  in  the  south  encompass  the  dis- 
trict with  their  spreading  waters. 

Mr.  English  is  satisfied  that  the  representations  made  of 
the  climate  of  Sennaar  are  much  exaggerated.  Except 
during  the  rainy  part  of  the  year,  the  country  presents  an 
elevated  plain,  not  only  dry,  but  well  ventilated  by  the  breezes 
from  the  south  and  east,  which  are  generally  cool,  because 
they  come  either  from, the  mountains  of  Abyssinia  or  from 
the  huge  ridges  that  compose  the  Gebel  el  Gumara.  He 
was  there  at  midsummer,  and  at  no  time  did  he  find  the 
heat  very  uncomfortable,  provided  he  was  in  the  open  air 
and  under  a  shade.  Within  doors,  he  allows,  the  temper- 
ature was  much  raised  ;  and,  in  the  absence  of  the  proper 
means  to  secure  comfort,  its  effects  were  extremely  dis- 
agreeable. The  houses,  he  adds,  were  full  of  lizards,  which, 
if  you  lie  on  the  floor,  you  may  feel  crawling  over  you  all 
night.  He  saw  a  singular  species  of  snake  or  serpent.  It 
was  about  two  feet  long,  and  not  thicker  than  a  man's  thumb, 
striped  on  the  back,  with  a  copper-coloured  belly  and  a  flat 
head.  It  had  four  legs,  which  did  not  appear  to  be  of  any 
use,  as  they  were  short,  and  seemed  to  hang  from  the  lower 
part  of  his  sides.  All  its  motions,  which  were  quick  and 
rapid,  were  made  on  the  belly,  after  the  usual  manner  of 
serpents.* 

As  to  domestic  customs  and  habits,  there  is  a  general  re- 
semblance among  all  the  nations  who  occupy  the  borders  of 
the  Nile  from  Es  Souan  to  Sennaar,  though  the  inhabitants 
differ  somewhat  in  complexion  and  character.  Those  in 
the  province  of  Sukkot,  for  example,  are  not  so  black  as  the 
Nubians  and  the  Dongolese.  They  are  also  frank  and  prepos- 
sessing in  their  deportment.  The  last-mentioned  class  are 
dirty,  idle,  and  ferocious  ;  a  description  which  might  likewise 
be  applied  to  the  Sheygyan,  were  it  not  that,  so  far  from 
beino-  indolent,  he  is  either  an  industrious  peasant  or  a 
daring  freebooter.  The  natives  who  dwell  near  the  third 
cataract  have  the  reputation  of  being  honest  and  obliging ; 
although  it  must  be  admitted,  that  in  point  of  civilization 
they  are  much  inferior  to  the  people  of  Berber,  the  most  im- 
proved of  all  the  tribes  on  the  Upper  Nile.  The  inhabitants 
of  those  extensive  tracts,  of  which  Shendy  and  Halfaia  are 

*  Narrative  of  Expedition,  p-  15-5. 


56  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES   OF 

the  capitals,  are  a  sullen,  crafty,  and  rather  bloodthirsty  race  ; 
while  the  peasants  of  Sennaar,  those  especially  who  were 
found  at  a  distance  from  the  principal  town,  were  compara- 
tively mild  and  virtuous.  Throughout  the  whole  of  these 
countries  there  is  one  general  characteristic  in  which  they 
resemble  the  Indians  of  America, — courage  and  self-respect. 
The  chiefs,  we  are  told,  after  coming  to  salute  Ishmael  Pasha, 
made  no  scruple  of  sitting  down  opposite  to  him,  and  entering 
into  conversation  without  the  slightest  embarrassment,  in 
the  same  manner  as  they  are  accustomed  to  do  with  their 
own  meleks,  with  whom  they  are  very  familiar.  With  the 
greatest  apparent  simplicity,  they  were  wont  to  propose  very 
troublesome  questions  to  the  invader;  such  as,  "  O  great 
sheik,  what  have  we  done  to  you  or  your  country  that  you 
should  come  so  far  to  make  war  upon  us  1  Is  it  for  want 
of  food  in  your  own  land  that  you  come  to  seek  it  in  ours  ?" 

The  manufactures  of  the  several  clans  beyond  Wady 
Haifa  are  limited  to  the  following  articles  :  Earthen-ware 
for  domestic  use,  and  bowls  for  pipes  :  Gotton  cloth  for  gar- 
ments ;  knives,  mattocks,  hoes,  ploughs,  and  water-wheels 
for  agriculture  ;  horse-furniture,  including  most  excellent 
saddles,  very  neatly  fabricated  ;  stirrups  in  the  European 
form,  and  not  like  those  of  the  Turks,  such  as  are  made  for 
the  chiefs  being  usually  of  silver  ;  large  iron  spurs  ;  bits 
with  small  chains  for  bridles,  to  prevent  them  from  being 
severed  by  the  stroke  of  an  enemy's  sabre  ;  long  and  double- 
edged  broadswords,  with  the  guard  frequently  made  of  a 
precious  metal  ;  iron  heads  for  lances,  and  shields  made  of 
elephants'  skin  ;  to  which  may  be  added,  very  beautiful 
straw-mats  worked  by  the  women. 

When  the  Sultan  of  Sennaar  surrendered  his  country  to 
the  disposal  of  the  grand  seignior,  the  pasha  sent  notices 
to  all  the  chiefs  of  the  kingdom,  making  known  to  them  this 
act  of  submission,  and  demanding  their  allegiance  and 
homage.  But  the  leader  of  the  mountaineers  in  the  south- 
western district,  not  only  refused  to  acknowledge  Ishmael 
as  his  lord-paramount — he  even  scorned  to  look  on  his 
letter.  Similar  replies  were  made  by  the  governors  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  Nile,  who,  while  they  declined  to  recog- 
nise the  act  of  their  sovereign,  called  him  a  coward  and  a 
traitor  for  giving  up  his  dominions  to  a  stranger.  This 
resolute  conduct  on  their  part  led  to  two  expeditions,  from 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  57 

which  some  valuable  information  has  been  gained  in  respect 
to  the  distant  provinces  that  they  were  sent  to  subdue. 

The  divan  eifendi  at  the  head  of  three  hundred  men 
crossed  the  Nile,  and  soon  crushed  every  attempt  made  by 
the  spirited  barbarians  to  oppose  the  new  government. 
"  We  marched,"  says  he,  "  without  resistance  for  eight 
days  in  the  direction  of  the  rising  sun,  through  a  country, 
fine,  fertile,  and  crowded  with  villages,  till  we  came  to 
some  larger  ones  near  a  mountain  called  Catla,  where  we 
found  four  or  five  hundred  men  posted  in  front  of  them  to 
resist  our  march.  They  were  armed  with  lances,  and  pre- 
sented themselves  to  the  combat  with  great  resolution. 
But  on  experiencing  the  effect  of  our  firearms  they  took  to 
Qight  towards  the  mountain ;  two  hundred  of  them  were 
hemmed  in  and  cut  to  pieces,  and  three  of  their  chiefs  were 
taken  prisoners,  as  well  as  all  the  inhabitants  we.  could  find ; 
after  which  we  returned." 

On  being  asked  with  regard  to  water  at  a  distance  from 
the  river,  the  effendi  replied,  that  "  there  were  wells  in 
abundance  in  all  the  numerous  villages  with  which  the 
country  abounds,  and  also  many  rivulets  and  streams,  which 
at  this  season  descend  from  the  mountains."  The  troops, 
he  added,  had  forded  two  small  rivers,  probably  the  Rahad 
and  the  Dender,  the  scenery  all  around  being  very  fine,  and 
presenting  many  beautiful  birds  and  insects.  He  brought 
one  of  these  last  with  him,  which  proved  to  be  a  scarabaeus, 
covered  with  a  close  crimson  down,  exactly  resembling 
scarlet  velvet.  The  people  of  the  country  he  described  as 
very  harmless,  and  exceedingly  anxious  to  know  what  had 
brought  the  Egyptian  army  to  Sennaar  to  trouble  them.* 

But  the  other  expedition  under  Hagi  Achmet  was  at- 
tended with  still  more  important  results.  This  officer,  one 
of  the  roughest  under  the  command  of  Ishmael,  was 
intrusted  with  four  hundred  cavalry  and  three  able  lawyers, 
a  force  which  was  deemed  sufficient  either  to  persuade  or 
compel  the  reluctant  mountaineers  to  submission.  He 
marched  rapidly  during  ten  days  in  a  direction  almost 
south-west  of  Sennaar,  through  a  well-peopled  country, 
without  encountering  any  resistance  till  he  came  to  the  lofty 
ridge    of   Bokki   inhabited   by  pagans,    the    followers    of 

*  Narrative  of  Expedition,  p.  176. 


58  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

the  chief  who  had  rejected  the  pasha's  letter.  They  were 
drawn  up  on  high  ground  not  easy  to  be  approached  ;  but 
their  position  was  soon  stormed,  and  after  a  desperate 
struggle  they  found  that  spears  and  swords,  though  wielded 
by  vigorous  hands,  were  not  a  match  for  firearms.  They 
fled  to  another  mountain  in  the  rear  of  that  in  which  they 
had  first  taken  post ;  and  being  again  attacked  with  cannon 
and  musketry,  they  were  obliged  to  retreat  to  a  third  strong- 
hold, still  deeper  in  the  recesses  of  their  hills,  and  inacces- 
sible to  cavalry.  On  this  occasion,  however,  part  of  them 
were  surrounded  by  the  horsemen  of  Achmet,  and  fifteen 
hundred  put  to  the  sword.  Believing  that  he  had  given 
them  ample  proof  that  resistance  on  their  part  was  un- 
availing, and  finding  that  his  troops  were  suffering  much 
from  the  continual  rains,  Hagi,  after  sweeping  the  villages 
of  all  the  people  who  remained,  resumed  his  march  to 
the  camp  of  his  master.  In  the  course  of  their  journey 
his  men  had  to  ford  several  deep  rivers,  already  rushing 
in  full  stream  from  the  mountains ;  and  before  they 
reached  Sennaar  both  they  and  their  horses  were  much 
exhausted.* 

The  natives  of  Bokki  are  described  as  a  hardy  race,  tall, 
stout,  and  handsome.  They  are  said  to  be  pagans,  worship- 
pers of  the  sun,  which,  however,  they  consider  it  profane 
to  look  at.  The  prisoners  resembled  in  their  dress  the 
savages  of  America  ;  being  nearly  covered  with  beads, 
bracelets,  and  trinkets,  made  of  pebbles,  bones,  and  ivory. 
Their  complexion  is  almost  black.  Their  manners  and 
deportment  are  prepossessing,  bearing  the  stamp  of  simpli- 
city and  confidence,  together  with  that  air  of  self-esteem 
which  is  never  offensive  in  the  mere  child  of  nature.  The 
arms  of  these  people  excited  great  surprise ;  they  consisted 
of  well-formed  and  rather  elegant  iron  helmets,  coats-of- 
mail  made  of  leather  and  overlaid  with  plates  of  iron,  long 
lances,  extremely  well  fabricated,  and  a  hand  weapon  ex- 
actly resembling  the  bills  anciently  used  in  England  by  the 
yeomanry.  With  such  instruments  of  assault  they  were 
very  formidable  in  personal  combat.  They  had  never  seen 
firearms,  but,  nevertheless,  withstood  them  with  great 
intrepidity.     They  said  that  a  fusee  was  a  coward's  weapon, 

*  Narrative,  p.  193. 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA..  59 

who  stands  at  a  safe  distance  from  his  enemy  and  kills  him 
with  an  invisible  stroke. 

We  have  been  more  minute  than  usual  in  our  details 
respecting  the  state  of  society  among  the  people  above  the 
junction  of  the  rivers,  because  till  the  famous  expedition  of 
Ishmael  Pasha,  no  European  in  modern  times  had  visited 
that  remote  country.  Of  the  city  of  Sennaar  itself,  which 
in  the  days  of  Poncet  was  remarkable  for  its  population, 
little  now  remains  besides  a  heap  of  ruins.  There  are 
indeed  in  some  of  its  quarters  several  hundred  habitable  but 
almost  deserted  houses  ;  and  at  every  step  the  traveller 
treads  upon  portions  of  burnt  bricks,  among  which  are  often 
found  fragments  of  porcelain  and  even  of  marble.  The 
most  conspicuous  buildings  now  are  a  mosque  and  a  large 
palace  adjoining  to  it.  The  former  is  in  good  preservation ; 
its  windows  are  covered  with  bronze  gratings  skilfully 
manufactured,  and  the  doors  are  handsomely  and  curiously 
carved.  The  interior,  when  viewed  by  the  American  officer, 
was  desecrated  by  uncouth  figures  of  animals  portrayed 
upon  the  walls  with  charcoal.  This  profanation  had  been 
perpetrated  by  the  infidels  who  dwell  in  the  mountains,  a 
march  of  thirteen  days  southward  of  the  capital  ;  and  who 
at  some  period  not  very  long  past  had  taken  the  town,  and 
left  upon  the  walls  these  tokens  of  their  disrespect  for  the 
religion  of  the  Prophet. 

The  palace  is  large,  but  in  ruins,  except  a  single  pile  of 
building  in  the  centre,  which  is  six  stories  high,  and  has 
five  rows  of  windows.  When  stationed  on  the  roof,  the 
visiter  obtains  the  best  view  that  is  anywhere  to  be  had  of 
this  barbarian  metropolis  ;  which  appears  to  be  about  three 
miles  in  circumference,  of  an  oblong  form,  and  stretched 
along  the  western  bank  of  the  Abyssinian  Nile.  In  exam- 
ining the  structure  of  the  older  description  of  houses,  the 
most  remarkable  thing  in  the  eye  of  a  European  is  the 
workmanship  of  the  doors.  These  are  composed  of  planks 
carefully  planed  and  jointed,  frequently  adorned  with  carv- 
ing, andf strengthened  or  studded  with  very  broad-headed 
nails ;  the  whole  inimitable  by  the  present  population  of  Sen- 
naar, The  houses  themselves  are  rarely  of  more  than  one 
story  in  height,  having  roofs  terraced  with  fine  clay  spread 
over  mats  laid  upon  rafters.  Such  is  the  present  appearance 
of  a  town  that  has  evidently  been  once  rich  and  flourishing, 


60  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

but  which,  during  eighteen  years  prior  to  the  date  of  the 
Egyptian  expedition,  had  been  the  victim  of  repeated  wars 
and  rebellion. 

The  country  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Sennaar  consists  of 
wide  plains,  in  which  are  numerous  and  spacious  villages. 
A  long  rugged  mountain,  the  only  one  in  sight,  stands  about 
fifteen  miles  to  the  westward  of  the  town.  Below  it  is  a 
small  but  pretty  island,  whose  inhabitants  earn  a  livelihood 
by  raising  vegetables  for  the  market ;  and  the  opposite 
bank  of  the  river  presents  several  verdant  patches  devoted 
to  the  same  object.  At  a  greater  distance  the  ground  ap- 
peared to  be  chiefly  covered  with  trees  and  brushwood, 
among  which  were  seen  a  number  of  elephants  in  search  of 
food. 

We  have  hitherto  followed  the  progress  of  the  invading 
army  under  the  command  of  Tshmael,  the  son  of  Mohammed 
Ali,  guided  by  the  narrative  of  the  American  officer  in  the 
service  of  that  prince.  Cailliaud  and  his  friend  M.  Letorzec 
were  likewise  attached  to  the  camp,  and  enjoyed  the  counte- 
nance of  the  military  chief,  who  appears  to  have  shaped  his 
conduct  towards  them  under  the  impression  that  the  know- 
ledge of  his  exploits  in  Upper  Nubia  would  be  commu- 
nicated to  Europe  through  the  medium  of  their  writings. 
From  Sennaar  to  the  remote  Singueh  we  accompanied  the 
French  author,  whose  work  is  not  only  the  most  recent,  but 
also  the  most  satisfactory  on  this  branch  of  our  geographical 
survey.  In  truth,  there  is  no  other  publication  in  the  lan- 
guages of  the  West  to  which  we  can  have  recourse  ;  and 
we  may  add,  that  no  Frank  traveller  in  the  memory  of  man 
has  ever  penetrated  into  those  distant  provinces  on  the  Blue 
River,  which  about  ten  years  ago  were  "traversed  by  the 
Egyptian  troops  in  their  celebrated  expedition  against  the 
meleks  of  the  south.  It  may  be  noticed,  that  before  the 
army  commenced  their  march,  the  Pasha  Ibrahim,  after- 
ward so  well  known  in  Greece,  had  joined  his  brother  with 
a  reinforcement,  and,  was  prepared  to  share  with  him  the 
perils  of  a  new  campaign. 

It  was  on  the  5th  of  December,  1821,  that  these  chiefs 
left  Sennaar  at  the  head  of  their  respective  divisions,  and 
proceeded  along  the  western  bank  of  the  Abyssinian  Nile. 
After  a  few  days  they  separated  ;  Ishmael  keeping  near 
that  stream,  and  the  other  holding  more  to  the  westward,  in 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  63 

the  direction  of  the  Bahr  el  Abiad.  Ibrahim  had  twelve 
hundred  men  under  his  command  ;  his  colleague  had  fifteen 
hundred  ;  while  an  equal  number  was  left  to  guard  the 
camp  and  secure  the  new  conquests. 

The  march  through  a  country  impeded  with  wood  was 
necessarily  tedious,  and  seldom  relieved  by  the  occurrence 
of  any  interesting  events.  The  invaders,  who  were  sup- 
plied with  a  few  pieces  of  cannon,  required  the  aid  of 
camels  and  other  beasts  of  burden,  which  on  some  occa- 
sions increased  the  difficulties  of  their  passage.  It  was  not, 
therefore,  till  the  17th  day  of  the  month  that,  after  having 
seen  a  number  of  inferior  villages,  they  arrived  at  El  Que- 
ribyn,  a  small  town  built  on  the  declivity  of  a  hill,  and 
flanked  on  either  side  by  a  rocky  eminence. 

After  a  number  of  observations,  M.  Cailliaud  ascertained 
the  position  of  this  place  to  be  in  12  degrees  and  about  7 
minutes  of  north  latitude,  and  in  31  degrees  30  minutes  of 
east  longitude,  reckoning  from  Paris,  or  33°  50'  east  from 
London.  El  Queribyn  is  dependent  on  Sennaar  ;  and  the 
inhabitants,  being  assured  that  no  injury  would  be  inflicted 
on  them,  remained  in  their  huts,  of  which  the  annexed 
drawing,  says  the  author,  exhibits  a  correct  representation. 

Proceeding  still  towards  the  south,  though  verging  occa- 
sionally in  an  eastern  direction,  the  troops  under  Ishmael 
pursued  their  march  into  Fazoglo.  Envoys  had  previously 
arrived  from  the  melek  of  that  country,  expressing  his 
readiness  to  submit  to  the  Pasha  of  Egypt ;  suggesting 
at  the  same  time  that  his  arms  might  be  successfully  em- 
ployed against  the  unbelieving  pagans  who  inhabit  the 
neighbouring  mountains.  This  hint  coincided  but  too  closely 
with  the  main  object  of  the  general,  which  was  to  capture 
the  natives  and  send  them  to  the  lower  provinces  as  slaves, 
or  to  find  employment  for  them  in  the  gold  mines  said  to 
abound  in  their  rocky  frontier.  An  attack  on  the  defence- 
less Caffres  soon  followed,  attended  with  very  revolting 
circumstances.  About  seventy  prisoners,  chiefly  women, 
crowned  the  first  attempt  of  the  Turks  against  that  simple 
race,  who  were  entirely  ignorant  of  the  use  of  firearms. 

Advancing  to  Kilgou,  a  village  situated  on  a  hill,  Ishmael 
gave  orders  to  attack  it  with  such  impetuosity  as  would 
preclude  either  escape  or  defence.  His  instructions  were 
executed  with   the   utmost   promptitude ;  the   rocks   were 


64  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

scaled,  and  a  great  number  of  the  inhabitants  found  them- 
selves in  the  grasp  of  an  enemy  whom  they  had  not  only 
not  provoked,  but  whose  approach  they  had  not  anticipated. 
The  resistance,  however,  did  honour  to  their  courage  and 
ingenuity.  They  retreated  to  their  fastnesses  on  the  higher 
grounds  ;  and  the  soldiers,  when  they  attempted  to  follow 
them,  saw  their  ranks  thinned  by  huge  masses  of  stone 
rolled  down  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  or  by  spears  which 
were  handled  with  great  dexterity.  The  pasha  himself, 
who  advanced  at  the  head  of  a  party  of  Mamlouks,  made  a 
very  narrow  escape  from  the  darts  of  the  mountaineers. 
A  colonel  of  Albanians  was  pierced  with  many  wounds,  and 
left  on  the  field.  Still  the  issue  of  the  combat  was  unfa- 
vourable to  the  bold  barbarians.  Their  missile  weapons 
were  exhausted,  and  the  bravest  of  their  number  slain  ;  in 
which  circumstances  they  were  compelled  to  place  their 
whole  confidence  in  flight  towards  precipices,  where  their 
assailants  could  not  pursue  them  except  by  musket-shot. 
Ishmael  sustained  a  loss  of  forty  wounded  and  twelve  killed  ; 
but  he  considered  himself  amply  indemnified  by  the  capture 
of  five  hundred  and  seventy-two  prisoners,  as  also  by  the 
intelligence  that  a  hundred  and  eighty  of  his  opponents  had 
fallen. 

The  inhabitants  of  this  district,  whom  M.  Cailliaud  de- 
scribes as  negroes,  have  curled  hair,  thick  lips,  and  project- 
ing cheek-bones  ;  but  few  of  them  showed  flat  noses,  while 
many  had  even  fine  features.  Among  all  who  were  brought 
into  the  camp  he  did  not  discover  one  that  could  speak  Ara- 
bic. We  may  add  that  Kilgou  is  in  lat.  11°  33'  35"  north, 
and  long.  33°  56'  east. 

The  two  great  objects  of  gold  and  slaves,  which  had 
animated  the  zeal  of  Ishmael  throughout  the  whole  of  this 
expedition,  induced  him  to  extend  his  march  from  the  vil- 
lage just  named  towards  the  mountains  of  Taby  and  Gassi, 
where  he  expected  to  make  a  large  addition  to  his  human 
booty.  His  disappointment  may  therefore  be  conceived, 
when  he  found  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  numerous  hamlets 
which  were  scattered  along  its  declivities  were  prepared,  not 
only  to  meet  his  soldiers  among  the  ravines  and  precipices, 
but  also  to  attack  his  camp  in  the  night.  Unwilling  to 
protract  a  war  where  his  loss  would  probably  have  exceeded 
any  advantage  he  might  gain,  he  gave  orders  to  strike  his 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  65 

camp,  and  march  upon  Fazoglo,  the  ruler  of  which  had 
already  proffered  his  friendship  and  allegiance. 

The  Egyptian  prince,  on  approaching  this  capital,  was 
met  by  Hassan  at  the  distance  of  five  leagues,  accompanied 
by  his  ministers  riding  on  beautiful  Abyssinian  horses,  and 
surrounded  by  a  hundred  guards  armed  with  lances.  When 
Ishmael  came  in  sight,  the  melek  and  his  attendants  dis- 
mounted, and  advancing  on  foot  prostrated  themselves  before 
him.  The  king  made  him  a  present  of  two  valuable  steeds. 
Meanwhile  the  guards  stepped  forward,  and  after  raising 
the  wonted  shout,  formed  into  line,  dropped  down  on  one 
knee,  and  turned  the  point  of  their  spears  to  the  ground  in 
token  of  submission.  In  return  for  this  kind  reception,  the 
pasha  gave  orders  that  his  troops  should  not  pass  through 
the  villages,  lest  the  inhabitants  should  receive  any  injury 
from  the  soldiers,  whose  license,  he  acknowledged,  he  could 
not  always  check. 

For  the  reason  just  stated  M.  Cailliaud  did  not  enter 
Fazoglo  on  that  occasion  ;  though  he  was  soon  afterward 
permitted  by  the  general  to  pay  it  a  visit.  He  found  it  a 
small  place,  and  altogether  unworthy  of  the  extensive  prov- 
ince to  wThich  it  gives  a  name.  It  stands  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  from  the  western  bank  of  the  Blue  River,  which  is 
here  about  three  hundred  paces  broad,  and  at  the  distance 
of  a  four  hours'  march  northwards  from  Yara.  The  posi- 
tion of  the  latter,  as  determined  by  sundry  astronomical 
observations,  was  found  to  be  lat.  11°  14'  47"  north. 

Before  proceeding  towards  Sennaar,  the  pasha,  who  had 
not  obtained  the  number  of  slaves  which  he  thought  neces- 
sary to  complete  his  triumph,  renewed  the  scenes  of  Kilgou 
and  Taby  at  a  hill  named  Aquaro.  The  natives,  full  of 
courage,  and  confident  in  their  numbers  and  position,  had 
sent  notice  to  Ishmael  when  at  Fazoglo,  that  if  he  came  to 
their  mountains  they  would  break  his  legs.  After  a  fruit- 
less treaty,  meant  to  deceive  the  simple  Ethiopians,  an 
attack  was  made  on  their  villages,  which  were  situated  on 
the  highest  ground.  The  use  of  cannon  and  other  firearms 
enabled  the  Turks  to  succeed  so  far  as  to  carry  off,  at  the 
expense  of  thirty-five  killed  and  wounded,  about  a  hundred 
women  and  children. 

Aquaro  does  not  exceed  a  thousand  feet  in  height,  and  is 
not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  league  from  east  to  west.  It 
F2 


66  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

belongs  to  a  district  called  Dar  el  Keyl,  under  the  govern- 
ment of  a  chief,  Abou  Zinguir.  The  son  of  Mohammed 
Ali  was  very  desirous  to  make  an  impression  here,  satisfied 
that  the  result  of  any  decided  success  would  soon  realize 
itself  in  the  submission  of  the  neighbouring  tribes.  But, 
happily  for  these  poor  people,  his  first  attempt  was  far  from 
answering  to  his  expectation. 

The  army  next  directed  its  march  towards  the  south-west, 
with  the  view  of  reaching  the  Toumat,  a  river  which  in  our 
English  maps  is  denominated  the  Maleg.  It  flows  from  the 
remoter  parts  of  Abyssinia,  and  after  following  some  time  a 
north-western  direction  turns  to  the  east,  and  falls  into  the 
Bahr  el  Azrek  about  the  eleventh  degree  of  latitude.  At 
the  point  where  it  was  reached  by  the  pasha  its  breadth  was 
fully  six  hundred  feet ;  the  banks  were  covered  with  herba- 
ceous plants  and  beautiful  shrubs,  and  it  meanders  through 
a  vast  plain  finely  studded  with  trees  of  various  kinds.  To 
the  north-west  were  seen  in  the  distance  the  mountains  of 
Guincho  and  Soudeh,  while  in  the  south-east  arose  those  of 
Khackenkaro,  inhabited  in  part  by  pagan  negroes.  M. 
Cailliaud  was  able  to  ascertain  that  the  camp  on  the  Toumat 
was  situated  in  lat.  11°  2'  30"  north,  and  in  long.  34°  33' 
east  from  Greenwich. 

On  the  16th  of  January,  1822,  the  pasha  led  his  troops 
across  the  river,  and  kept  his  face  still  towards  the  south  and 
west.  After  a  march  of  three  days  he  arrived  at  a  small 
town  called  Abqoulgui,  in  the  province  of  Quamamyl, 
whither  he  was  drawn  by  the  report  of  productive  gold 
mines.  The  village  now  mentioned  is  in  lat.  10°  38'  45" 
north,  and  in  long.  34°  53'  10"  east  from  London.  On  the 
south  is  seen  blending  with  the  horizon  the  mountain  of 
Mafis,  and  in  the  west  the  long  chain  which  bears  the  name 
of  Obeh.  The  territory  is  washed  by  the  Toumat,  running 
here  nearly  from  south  to  north,  and  by  a  number  of  torrents 
more  or  less  deep  which  fall  into  it.  This  district  is  re- 
puted the  richest  of  any  in  auriferous  substances,  and  that  in 
which  the  natives  have  devoted  themselves  with  the  greatest 
activity  and  success  to  the  acquisition  of  the  precious 
metals. 

But  the  hopes  of  Ishmael  were  completely  blasted  in  re- 
gard to  the  immense  treasures  which  he  expected  to  find  in 
the  mountains  of  Quamamyl.     After  spending  seventeen 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  67 

days  in  gathering  sand,  washing  it,  and  collecting  the 
minute  particles  of  gold  which  it  appeared  to  contain,  he 
resolved  to  push  his  researches  still  farther  into  the  south,  and 
examine  the  mines  reported  to  have  been  worked  in  the 
lofty  range  of  Singueh  or  Quebeych,  under  the  tenth  decree 
of  latitude.  After  a  toilsome  march  of  two  days  he  was 
doomed  to  experience  a  renewal  of  his  disappointment. 
The  natives,  more  vigilant  and  politic  than  those  at  Kilgou, 
attacked  his  lines  day  and  night,  stole  his  horses,  inter- 
rupted his  supplies,  and  exhausted  the  remaining  strength 
of  his  weary  troops.  At  length  he  found  it  necessary  to 
yield  to  circumstances,  and  on  the  11th  of  February  he 
struck  his  tent  and  began  his  retreat  to  Fazoglo. 

M.  Cailliaud,  who  had  approached  nearer  to  the  equator 
than  any  other  European  on  the  course  of  the  IVile,  endea- 
voured to  collect,  from  the  guides  attached  to  the  army, 
some  information  respecting  the  White  River  and  the  coun- 
tries contiguous  to  their  own.  Of  the  Bahr  el  Abiad  they 
could  tell  nothing  more  than  that  it  comes  from  the  distant 
west,  where  a  savage  people  dwell,  who  use  poisoned  arrows 
and  eat  the  bodies  of  their  enemies.  He  learned  that  the 
territory  of  Singueh  is  dependent  on  Dar  F6q,  and  consti- 
tutes the  most  southern  province  of  Bertat.  It  extends  a 
march  of  two  days  southward  as  far  as  Fadassy,  a  place 
which  comprehends  several  villages,  and  borders  on  the 
lands  of  the  Galla.  They  gave  him  the  names  of  many 
torrents  and  streams  which  at  various  points  fall  into  the 
Nile  ;  but  the  account  is  so  extremely  vague,  and  the 
nomenclature  so  inaccurately  expressed,  that  we  despair  of 
being  able  to  communicate  to  our  readers  any  portion  of  the 
knowledge  which  the  laborious  Frenchman  took  so  much 
pains  to  acquire. 

At  Fazoglo  the  two  travellers,  Cailliaud  and  Letorzec, 
left  the  pasha  with  the  view  of  returning  to  Egypt,  and  on 
the  18th  of  February  they  embarked  on  the  IVile  to  proceed 
by  water  to  Sennaar.  They  passed  through  a  very  deso- 
late tract  of  country,  seeing  hardly  a  single  human  habita- 
tion on  either  side  of  the  river.  The  stream  was  very 
much  encumbered  with  rocks  and  small  islands,  which 
were  not  passed  without  considerable  danger  ;  and  at  the 
cataract  of  El  Querr,  where  the  water  rushes  downward 


68  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

with  considerable  force,  they  had  nearly  experienced  the 
fate  of  Mungo  Park  in  his  attempt  to  explore  the  Niger. 
It  was  not  till  the  26th  of  the  same  month  that  they  found 
themselves  in  safety  under  the  walls  of  Sennaar,  and  in 
front  of  the  house  which  they  had  formerly  occupied. 

Most  readers  are  aware  that  this  town,  the  capital  of  an 
extensive  kingdom,  which,  according  to  our  maps,  occupies 
so  large  a  portion  of  Eastern  Africa  between  the  White 
River  and  the  Red  Sea,  was  visited  by  Doctor  Poncet  in  the 
year  1699,  and  by  the  celebrated  Bruce  in  1772.  The  de- 
scriptions given  in  their  several  works  are  extremely  in- 
teresting, more  especially  when  compared  with  those  of 
Calliaud,  the  last  traveller  who  has  ascended  above  the 
junction  of  the  two  great  branches  of  the  Nile.  The  pious 
author  of  the  "  Voyage  to  Ethiopia"  tells  us  that  "  this  city, 
which  contains  near  a  league  and  a  half  in  compass,  is  very 
populous,  but  has  nothing  of  neatness,  and  besides  is  ill 
goveined.  They  number  in  it  near  a  hundred  thousand 
souls.  The  houses  are  only  one  story  high,  and  are  ill 
built ;  but  the  flat  roof  which  covers  them  is  very  convenient. 
As  to  the  suburbs,  they  are  only  wretched  cottages  covered 
with  reeds.  The  king's  palace  is  surrounded  with  high 
walls  of  brick  baked  in  the  sun,  but  has  nothing  regular  in 
it :  you  see  nothing  but  a  confused  heap  of  buildings  with- 
out symmetry  or  beauty.  The  apartments  are  furnished 
richly  enough  with  large  carpets  after  the  manner  of  the 
Levant. 

"  We  were  presented  to  the  king  the  day  after  our  arrival. 
The  first  thing  was  to  make  us  put  off  our  shoes  ;  this  is  a 
point  of  ceremony  which  all  strangers  must  observe  ;  for  as 
to  the  native  subjects  of  that  prince,  they  never  appear  before 
him  but  barefooted.  We  entered  immediately  after  into  a 
large  court  paved  with  little  square  tiles  of  different  colours, 
after  the  manner  of  Fayence.  Round  it  stood  the  guards 
armed  with  lances.  When  we  had  almost  passed  over  the 
court  they  obliged  us  to  stop  short  before  a  stone,  which  is 
near  to  an  open  hall  where  the  king  usually  gives  audience 
to  ambassadors.  There  we  saluted  the  king  according  to 
the  custom  of  the  country,  falling  upon  our  knees  and  thrice 
kissing  the  ground.  That  prince  is  nineteen  years  of  age, 
black,  but  well  shaped  and  of  a  majestic  presence,  not  having 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  69 

thick  lips  nor  flat  nose,  like  the  most  of  the  people.  He  was 
seated  upon  a  rich  bed  under  a  canopy,  with  his  legs  across, 
after  the  oriental  fashion  ;  and  round  him  twenty  old  men 
seated  after  the  same  manner,  but  somewhat  lower.  He  was 
clothed  in  a  long  vest  embroidered  with  gold,  and  girt  with 
a  kind  of  scarf  made  of  fine  calico.  He  had  a  white  turban 
on  his  head  ;  and  the  old  men  were  clad  much  after  the  same 
manner.  At  the  entrance  of  the  hall,  the  prime  minister 
standing  complimented  the  king  in  our  names,  and  delivered 
back  his  answer  to  us.  Then  we  saluted  the  prince  a  second 
time,  as  we  had  done  in  the  court,  and  we  presented  him 
with  some  crystals  and  other  curiosities  of  Europe,  which  he 
graciously  accepted.  He  ordered  his  guards  to  attend  us  to 
our  lodgings,  and  afterward  sent  us  great  vessels  filled  with 
butter,  honey,  and  other  refreshments  :  and  moreover  two 
oxen  and  sheep. 

"  This  prince  dines  twice  a  week  at  one  of  his  country- 
houses,  which  is  at  a  leagueVdistance  from  the  town.  The 
order  he  observes  in  his  march  is  this  :  Between  three  and 
four  hundred  horsemen,  mounted  on  fine  horses,  make  the 
first  appearance.  After  these  comes  the  king,  attended  by  a 
great  number  of  footmen  and  armed  soldiers,  who  with  a 
loud  voice  sing  forth  his  praises,  and  play  upon  the  tabor, 
which  makes  no  unpleasant  harmony.  Seven  or  eight  hun- 
dred young  maids  and  women  march  together  with  these 
soldiers,  and  carry  upon  their  heads  great  round  baskets  of 
straw,  of  different  colours  and  finely  made.  These  baskets, 
which  represent  all  sorts  of  flowers,  and  the  covers  whereof 
are  pyramid-wise,  are  filled  with  copper  dishes  tinned  over, 
and  full  of  fruits  and  several  meats  ready  dressed.  These 
dishes  are  served  first  before  the  king,  and  are  afterward 
distributed  among  those  who  have  the  honour  to  attend 
upon  him.  Two  or  three  hundred  horsemen  follow  in  the 
same  order  as  those  that  went  foremost,  and  close  the  whole 
march.  The  king,  who  never  appears  in  public  but  with 
his  face  covered  with  a  silk  gauze  of  various  colours,  sits 
down  to  table  as  soon  as  he  is  arrived.  His  usual  diversion 
is  to  propose  prizes  to  the  lords  of  his  court,  and  to  shoot 
with  them  at  a  mark  with  a  gun,  at  which  they  are  not  yet 
very  expert.  After  they  have  spent  the  best  part  of  the 
day  in  this  exercise,  they  return  in  the  evening  to  the  town, 
observing   the   same   order   as  at  their  setting  out  in  tho 


70  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

morning.     This  entertainment  is  regularly  taken  on  Wed- 
nesday and  Saturday  every  week."* 

In  regard  to  the  character  of  the  people,  their  mode  of 
living,  dress,  commerce,  diseases,  superstitions,  and  general 
habits,  the  details  supplied  by  Poncet  are  not  at  variance 
with  those  given  by  Bruce  more  than  seventy  years  after- 
ward. The  merchants  still  retained  a  considerable  share 
of  the  trade  with  Arabia,  and  even  the  western  parts  of 
India. 

The  latter  does  not  mention  the  number  of  inhabitants 
in  Sennaar  at  the  time  he  paid  his  visit ;  simply  remarking 
that  it  was  very  populous,  and  contained  many  good  houses 
after  the  fashion  of  the  country.t  He  adds  that  the  dwell- 
ings of  the  great  officers  consisted  of  two  stories  ;  an  im- 
provement since  the  period  of  the  French  traveller,  who 
found  them  generally  restricted  to  one  floor.  But  its  pres- 
ent condition, — a  mass  of  ruins  interspersed  with  a  few 
paltry  huts, — indicates  the  melancholy  events  which  have 
recently  filled  up  its  history,  and  deprived  it  at  once  of  its 
wealth  and  power.  It  is  not  consistent,  however,  with  our 
plan  to  enter  more  minutely  into  the  annals  of  that  declin- 
ing state  ;  we  therefore  proceed  to  the  eastern  bank  of  the 
Nile,  with  the  view  of  exhibiting  a  brief  outline  of  the 
provinces  which  constitute  Abyssinia,  the  proper  Ethiopia 
of  early  authors. 

The  kingdom  which  bears  this  name  was,  in  the  estima- 
tion of  the  writers  who  flourished  in  the  middle  ages,  the 
region  now  called  Abyssinia  ;  a  country  concerning  which, 
even  at  the  present  day,  we  have  not  much  certain  or 
authentic  information.  The  accounts  given  by  the  Arabian 
geographers,  Bakoi,  Edrisi,  and  more  particularly  by  Mac- 
rizi,  show  nothing  so  clearly  as  that  the  Mohammedans 
have  had  little  intercourse  with  this  Christian  empire.  The 
only  knowledge  which  till  lately  was  possessed  by  the 
learned  of  Europe  was  almost  entirely  derived  from  the 
Portuguese  travellers  Alvarez,  Bermudez,  Paez,  Almeida, 
and  Lobo,  whose  works  were  abridged  by  Tellez,  and  illus- 
trated with  some  ability  by  Ludolf,  the  Strabo  of  Eastern 
Africa.  To  these  we  may  add  the  few  notices  furnished  by 
Thevenot  and  Poncet.     An  important  narrative  by  Petit-la- 

*  Voyage  to  Ethiopia  by  M.  Poncet,  M.D.  p.  20,  &c' 
t  Travels,  vol.  vi.  p.  382. 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  71 

Croix,  dated  in  1700,  partly  drawn  up  from  information 
furnished  by  Abyssinians  whom  the  author  had  known  in 
Egypt,  exists  in  manuscript  in  the  library  at  Leyden.  The 
volumes  of  Bruce  and  Salt  are  well  known  to  every  reader; 
to  which  a  species  of  supplement  has  very  recently  been 
provided  by  the  publication  of  the  Life  and  Adventures  of 
Nathaniel  Pearce. 

Confined  to  such  materials,  the  geographical  outlines  of 
that  ancient  kingdom  have  not  been  exhibited  with  unim- 
peachable precision.  The  limits  which  separate  the  Abys- 
sinians from  the  Nubians,  from  the  Galla  on  the  south-west 
and  south,  and  from  the  territory  of  Adel  on  the  south-east, 
have  hitherto  depended  on  the  uncertain  issue  of  frequent 
appeals  to  arms.  But  if  we  include  the  coasts  of  the  Red 
Sea,  and  the  provinces  occupied  by  the  savages  just  named, 
we  may  assign  to  this  empire  a  length  of  560  miles,  and  a 
breadth  of  640  ;  measuring  from  the  15th  to  the  7th  degree 
of  latitude,  and  from  the  34th  to  the  44th  degree  of  east 
longitude. 

Although  we  are  certain  that  the  term  Ethiopian  is  of 
Greek  origin,  and  was  applied  to  every  people  of  a  deep 
complexion,  the  Abj-ssinians  nevertheless  still  call  them- 
selves Itiopawian,  and  their  country  Itiopia.  But  they  un- 
doubtedly prefer  the  denomination  of  Agazi  or  Ghez  for  the 
kingdom,  and  Agazian  for  the  inhabitants.  The  name  of 
Habesh,  given  to  them  by  the  Mohammedans,  and  from 
which  is  derived  the  European  appellation,  is  an  Arabic 
word,  signifying  a  "  mixed  race,"  on  which  account  the 
natives  scornfully  disclaim  it.* 

Regarded  in  a  general  point  of  view,  Abyssinia  forms  an 
extensive  table-land  gently  inclining  to  the  north-west,  and 
having  two  great  steeps  on  the  east  and  south  ;  the  first 
looking  towards  the  Arabian  Gulf,  the  second  to  the  interior 
of  Africa.  It  is  doubtful  whether  these  vast  declivities  con- 
sist of  regular  chains,  or  are  only  crowned  with  isolated 
mountains  like  Lamalmon  and  Amba  Gedion,  the  configura- 
tion of  which  appears  to  be  very  extraordinary.  They 
shoot  up  almost  everywhere  in  sharp  peaks,  which  are  as- 
cended by  means  of  ropes  and  ladders,  bearing  no  slight 
resemblance  to  the  ramparts  and  turrets  of  deserted  towns. 

*  Ludolf,  Hist,  ^thiop.  lib.  i.  c.  i. 


72  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

Father  Tellez  imagines  that  the  loftiest  of  these  summits 
are  higher  than  the  Alps  ;  but  we  find  none  of  them  capped 
with  snow,  except  perhaps  those  of  Samen  in  the  province 
of  Tigre,  and  of  Namera  in  the  district  of  Gojam.* 

As  to  the  political  geography  of  Abyssinia,  there  prevails 
a  great  degree  of  doubt  even  among  the  writers  of  best 
reputation.  Ludolf  speaks  of  nine  kingdoms  and  five 
provinces.  Thevenot,  from  the  information  of  an  Ethiopian 
ambassador,  says  there  are  seven  kingdoms  and  twenty-four 
provinces.  Bruce  mentions  nineteen  provinces ;  and,  lastly, 
Petit-la-Croix  enumerates  thirty-five  kingdoms  and  ten 
provinces  once  belonging  to  the  Abyssinian  monarch,  of 
which  he  retains  only  six  kingdoms  and  a  half,  with  the  ten 
provinces.  We  cannot  enter  into  such  details  as  might  seem 
necessary  to  explain  these  topographical  distributions,  or  to 
trace  the  line  which  divides  one  section  of  the  country  from 
another.  An  inspection  of  the  map,  and  a  due  attention  to 
the  itineraries  which  we  shall  have  occasion  to  introduce, 
will  afford  much  more  valuable  assistance  to  the  compre- 
hension of  the  reader,  than  the  most  laboured  delineations 
of  obscure  and  ever-changing  boundaries. 

When  we  cross  the  Blue  River,  about  the  twelfth  degiee 
of  latitude,  we  find  ourselves  in  the  province  or  kingdom  of 
Dembea,  consisting  of  fertile  plains  surrounding  the  Lake 
Tzana,  and  containing  Gondar,  the  modern  capital.  This 
city,  according  to  the  report  of  a  native  communicated  to 
Sir  William  Jones,  almost  equals  Cairo  in  extent  and  popu- 
lation. Bruce,  however,  reduces  the  number  of  inhabitants 
to  about  fifty  thousand,  if  we  may  proceed  on  the  usual  prin- 
ciple of  assigning  five  individuals  to  a  family  ;  a  statement 
which  we  shall  afterward  find  does  not  fall  short  of  the 
truth.  The  same  province  contains  the  town  of  Emfras, 
comprehending  about  three  hundred  houses. 

To  the  south  of  Dembea  the  Nile  winds  round  the  king- 
dom of  Gojam,  which  it  thereby  reduces  to  the  form  of  a 
peninsula.  This  part  of  the  river  has  a  most  magnificent 
cascade,  the  whole  body  of  its  water  falling  down  from  a 
height  of  forty  feet,  with  tremendous  force  and  noise,  into  a 
basin,  where  it  wheels  round  in  numerous  eddies.     This 


*  Lobo,  Hist    B.  i.   p.  141;    Ludolf,  lib.  vi:    Make  Brun,  vol.  iv 
P   135. 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  73 

province,  although  abounding  in  all  sorts  of  productions,  de- 
rives its  principal  riches  from  numerous  herds  of  cattle. 

Eastward  of  Gojam  are  seen  the  countries  of  Beaemder 
and  of  the  Edjow  Galla.  The  former  is  remarkable  for  its 
fine  flocks  of  sheep.  Its  inhabitants  are  very  warlike,  and 
send  into  the  field  a  formidable  contingent  of  horsemen. 

Amhara,  a  little  farther  to  the  south,  has  always  been 
esteemed  one  of  the  principal  provinces  of  Abyssinia,  and 
contains  a  numerous  as  well  as  brave  race  of  men.  Here 
is  the  famous  state-prison  of  Amba  Geshen,  which  is  now 
succeeded  by  another  in  the  district  of  Begemder.  It 
seems  to  be  composed  of  steep  mountains,  having  a  cavern, 
either  natural  or  excavated  by  the  hands  of  man,  into  which 
the  prisoners  are  made  to  descend  by  means  of  a  rope. 
Here  the  monarch  causes  to  be  kept  under  his  own  eye  all 
those  princes  of  his  family  from  whom  he  thinks  that  he  has 
any  thing  to  apprehend  ;  and  it  is  often  to  this  tomb  of  liv- 
ing beings  that  the  grandees  of  the  kingdom  repair  to  select 
the  ruler  whom  they  are  about  to  call  to  the  throne. 

Lasta  is  a  mountainous  country,  inhabited  by  tribes  who 
are  pleased  to  pronounce  themselves  independent,  and  who 
possess  a  considerable  source  of  wealth  in  their  mines  of 
iron.  Shoa  consists  of  a  large  valley  very  difficult  of  ac- 
cess, and  which  has  given  occasion  to  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful fictions  in  the  English  language,  the  romance  of  Ras- 
selas.  The  province  of  Damot,  situated  beyond  the  Lake 
of  Tzana,  is  celebrated  for  gold  mines  and  cattle  with 
monstrous  horns.  Lobo,  who  dwelt  some  time  there,  extols 
it  as  the  most  delightful  country  he  had  ever  seen.  The  air 
is  temperate  and  healthy,  the  mountains  beautifully  shaded 
with  trees,  without  having  the  appearance  of  wild  or 
irregular  forests.  Vegetation  never  falls  asleep  in  that  rich 
soil  and  happy  climate.  The  operations  of  sowing  and 
reaping  are  common  to  all  the  seasons  of  the  year  ;  and  the 
whole  scene  has  the  aspect  of  a  pleasure-garden,  which 
never  fails  to  reward  with  a  most  plentiful  return  the  labour 
bestowed  upon  it. 

We  may  remark  in  passing,  that  all  the  provinces  now 
described,  if  we  except  Shoa,  are  usually  at  the  present  day 
comprehended  under  the  grand  division  of  the  empire  which 
takes  the  name  of  Amhara.  This  is  the  region,  as  we  are 
told,  which   gives  customs   and   manners  to   the   modern 


74  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

Abyssinians  ;  while  the  Amharic,  being  the  dialect  used  at 
court,  has  obtained  the  distinction  of  the  royal  language, 
and  is  spoken  through  at  least  one-half  of  the  kingdom. 
It  appears  to  be  compounded  of  the  Ethiopic  and  a  variety 
of  terms  derived  from  the  tongues  of  Africa,  influenced 
deeply  by  those  modifications  which  are  sooner  or  later  ex- 
tended to  all  unwritten  forms  of  speech. 

In  recent  times  the  most  important  section  of  the  empire 
is  that  which  embraces  the  province  of  Tigre,  bounded,  as 
Mr.  Salt  informs  us,  on  the  north  by  the  Bekla,  Boja, 
TakuC",  and  several  wild  tribes  of  Shangalla  ;  on  the  west 
by  the  mountains  of  Samen  ;  and  by  the  Denakil,  Doba,  and 
Galla  territories,  on  the  east  and  south  ;  including  not  less 
than  four  degrees  of  latitude,  and  nearly  an  equal  extent  in 
a  longitudinal  direction.  The  high  range  of  the  Samen 
hills,  stretching  from  Waldubba  to  the  south  of  Lasta,  to- 
gether with  the  line  of  the  Tacazze,  which  flows  in  a  north- 
easterly course  along  its  base,  sufficiently  point  out  the 
natural  boundary  between  Tigre  and  Amhara. 

This  large  and  very  populous  district  contains  a  number 
of  cities  which  make  a  considerable  figure  in  the  history  of 
Ethiopia,  more  especially  Axum,  Dixan,  Chelicut,  and  An- 
talo.  The  first  of  these  was  the  ancient  residence  of  the 
Abyssinian  monarchs,  who  still  go  thither  for  the  purpose  of 
being  crowned.  It  is  true  that  the  learned  are  not  agreed 
respecting  the  antiquity  of  this  place,  which  appears  not  to 
have  been  known  either  to  Herodotus  or  Strabo,  and  is  first 
mentioned  by  Arrian  in  the  Periplus  of  the  Erythraean  sea. 
We  shall  have  occasion  in  a  future  chapter  to  describe  some 
of  its  architectural  remains  ;  meantime  it  will  be  sufficient 
to  observe,  that  the  modern  town  reckons  about  six  hundred 
houses,  but  displays  no  remarkable  buildings.  On  the  east- 
ern frontier  stands  Antalo,  which  during  the  visit  of  Mr. 
Salt  was  the  seat  of  government,  being  the  residence  of  the 
viceroy  Ras  Welled  Selasse.  It  consists  of  about  a  thou- 
sand hovels  constructed  of  mud  and  straw,  in  the  midst  of 
which  rises  the  palace,  distinguished  for  magnitude  rather 
than  by  the  elegance  of  its  plan  or  workmanship.  In  this 
province  is  the  monastery  of  Fremona,  which  has  always 
been  the  chief  establishment  of  the  Jesuits.  It  is  about  a 
mile  in  circumference,  surrounded  by  walls  flanked  with 
towers  and  pierced  for  small  arms.     In  Mr.  Bruce's  eyes  it 


NUBIA   AND   ABYSSINIA.  75 

had  more  the  air  of  a  castle  than  of  a  convent,  and  ap- 
peared to  him  to  be  the  most  defensible  place  that  he  had 
seen  in  Abyssinia.  Generally  speaking,  Tigre  is  fertile  and 
well  peopled  ;  but  the  inhabitants  are  described  as  a  very 
ferocious,  bloodthirsty,  corrupt,  and  perfidious  race. 

On  the  western  side  of  the  provinces  now  described  are 
Sire,  Samen,  Wogara,  which  is  sometimes  called  Wojjerat, 
Walkayt,  and  Waldubba.  This  last  is  occasionally  ex- 
tolled as  one  of  the  granaries  of  Abyssinia.  The  humid 
vales  of  Sire  produce  numerous  palms  and  a  variety  of  fruit- 
trees  ;  enjoying,  besides,  all  the  beauty  which  arises  from 
the  vicinity  of  Tacazze,  whose  banks  are  covered  with  the 
most  luxuriant  verdure.  Nor  is  Samen,  which  when 
viewed  from  a  distance  appears  only  as  a  series  of  moun- 
tain-chains, in  any  degree  destitute  of  agricultural  wealth. 
On  the  contrary,  the  table-land  of  Amba  Gedion,  which  has 
so  steep  an  ascent  as  to  render  it  almost  inaccessible,  is  said 
to  be  sufficient  both  in  extent  and  fertility  to  support  many 
thousands.  It  was  the  fortress  of  the  Abyssinian  Jews, 
who  were  once  masters  of  the  province. 

The  more  remote  districts  in  the  south  are  chiefly  under 
the  yoke  of  the  ferocious  Galla  and  other  savage  tribes  hos- 
tile to  the  government  of  Gondar.  To  the  eastward  are  the 
countries  of  Angote  and  Bali ;  and  we  are  told  of  those  of 
Gooderoo,  Fatgar,  of  Efat,  of  Cambat,  and  particularly  of 
the  kingdom  of  Enarea,  which,  from  Brace's  account, 
seems  to  be  an  elevated  plain,  watered  by  several  rivers 
which  have  no  visible  outlet,  and  deriving  from  its  lofty 
position  the  comfort  of  a  temperate  climate.  The  natives 
are  said  to  trade  with  the  people  of  Melinda  on  the  Indian 
Ocean,  and  with  the  inhabitants  of  Angola  on  the  Ethiopic. 
The  hilly  district  of  Kaffa,  it  is  presumed,  must  be  conter- 
minous with  Enarea  on  the  south.  But  we  have  already 
alluded  to  the  obscurity  which  still  prevails  respecting  the 
interior  of  the  empire,  and  more  especially  those  regions  on 
its  distant  boundaries  towards  the  south  and  south-east. 

The  high  grounds  which  divide  Abyssinia  from  the  coast 
of  the  Red  Sea  are  known  among  geographers  as  consti- 
tuting the  country  of  the  Troglodytes  or  cave-dwellers. 
The  nature  of  the  soil  and  climate  has  in  all  ages  kept  the 
inhabitants   in  a  uniform  state    of  savage   wretchedness. 


76  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

Separated  into  tribes,  and  subject  to  hereditary  chiefs,  they 
lived  formerly,  and  in  many  parts  still  continue  to  live,  on 
the  produce  of  their  flocks,  consisting  principally  of  goats, 
aided  by  a  little  skill  in  the  art  of  fishing.  The  hollows  of 
the  rocks  are  their  ordinary  dwellings  ;  a  kind  of  lodging 
which  was  anciently  adopted  in  many  other  countries  of  the 
world.  We  find  traces  of  such  a  usage  at  the  foot  of  Cau- 
casus and  of  Mount  Atlas,  in  Mcssia,  in  Italy,  also  in 
France  and  Spain,  and  even  in  some  parts  of  our  native 
land.  In  Sicily  there  is  an  example  of  a  whole  town 
formed  by  excavation  in  the  body  of  a  hill.  But  of  all  the 
races  who  have  dwelt  in  caverns,  the  Troglodytes  of  the 
Arabian  Gulf  have  longest  preserved  the  habits  and  the 
name.* 

Mr.  Belzoni,  who  in  his  excursion  to  the  Red  Sea  came 
near  the  countries  now  under  consideration,  met  with  a 
fisherman  who  was  probably  a  fair  specimen  of  that  class 
of  the  inhabitants.  He  lived  in  a  tent  only  five  feet  broad, 
with  his  wife,  daughter,  and  son-in-law.  He  had  no  boat, 
but  went  forth  on  his  vocation  seated  on  the  trunk  of  a 
doomt-tree,  and  accompanied  by  the  youth  who  made  part 
of  his  family.  This  very  simple  raft  was  ten  or  twelve  feet 
long,  at  each  end  of  which  was  a  piece  of  wood  attached  in 
a  horizontal  direction,  so  as  to  prevent  the  log  from  turning 
round.  At  one  of  the  points  a  small  pole  was  stuck  upright 
to  serve  as  a  mast,  on  the  top  of  which  there  was  a  slight 
spar  secured  horizontally  like  that  below.  A  woollen  shawl 
thrown  over  it,  and  fastened  at  each  end  as  well  as  to  the 
slip  of  wood,  formed  a  kind  of  sail ;  while  the  two  fisher- 
men, mounted  on  the  trunk  as  if  on  horseback,  by  means  of 
a  cord  attached  to  their  substitute  for  canvass,  took  more  or 
less  wind  as  was  required.  But,  as  the  traveller  remarks,  "  it 
is  only  when  the  wind  blows  either  from  north  or  south  that 
such  a  contrivance  can  serve ;  for  if  it  blows  from  the  east 
they  cannot  set  off  their  boat  from  the  shore;  or  if  it  blows 
from  the  west  it  will  carry  them  too  far  out  to  sea.  When  the 
fishermen  are  thus  at  some  distance  from  the  shore,  I  know 
not  by  what  means  the  rest  of  the  operation  is  executed ; 
but  from  what  I  could  see,  they  darted  their  long  thin  spear 

*  Make  Brun,  vol.  iv.  p.  145;  Narrative  of  Discovery  and  Adventure 
in  Africa. 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  77 

at  the  fish  when  they  happened  to  see  any,  and  by  these 
means  they  procured  their  subsistence."* 

Beginning  at  the  confines  of  Egypt,  and  proceeding 
southward,  the  reader  will  observe  that  the  coast  makes  a 
great  concave  sweep,  forming  what  is  called  both  by  ancient 
and  modern  geographers  Foul  Bay.  At  the  bottom  of  this 
gulf  is  the  port  of  the  Abyssinians,  and  behind  is  the  coun- 
try known  by  the  name  of  Baza  or  Bedja.  According  to 
the  Arabian  authors,  it  is  a  kingdom  separated  from  Nubia 
by  a  chain  of  mountains,  rich  in  gold,  silver,  and  emeralds. 
The  accounts  supplied  from  antiquity,  respecting  the  name 
and  boundaries  of  this  province,  are  very  discordant.  The 
term  Baza,  it  is  thought,  may  be  found  in  that  of  the  prom- 
ontory called  Bazium  by  the  ancients,  and  now  Ras  el 
Comol.  The  inhabitants,  who  are  denominated  Bugeha  by 
Leo  Africanus,  Boguites  in  the  inscription  at  Axum,  and 
Bedjah  by  the  greater  number  of  Arabian  historians,  lead  a 
nomadic  and  savage  life.  They  derive  an  abundant  sub- 
sistence from  the  milk  and  flesh  of  their  camels,  cattle,  and 
sheep.  As  every  father  exercises  a  patriarchal  rule  in  his 
own  family,  they  have  no  other  government.  Full  of  loyalty 
to  one  another,  and  hospitable  to  strangers,  they  at  the 
same  time  continually  rob  the  neighbouring  agriculturists 
and  the  trading  caravans.  Bruce  asserts  that  they  speak  a 
dialect  of  the  Abyssinian  language  ;  but  Abdallah  maintains 
that  they  belong  to  the  race  of  Berbers  or  Barabras.  M. 
Quatremere  has  endeavoured  to  demonstrate  the  identity  of 
the  Bedjahs  with  the  Blemmyes  of  the  ancients ;  though 
the  descriptions  of  these  writers  apply  perhaps  with  greater 
precision  to  the  Ababdehs,  the  inhabitants  of  the  desert 
which  expands  between  the  Nile  and  the  Arabian  Gulf.f 

Suakin  is  chiefly  entitled  to  notice  as  being  one  of  the 
principal  ports  which  now  connect  Abyssinia  with  the  oppo- 
site coast ;  having  in  this  respect  superseded  the  more  an- 
cient harbour  of  Aedod,  the  Gidid  of  Portuguese  authors. 
It  is  in  fact  a  Turkish  town,  and  is  garrisoned  by  troops 
under  the  command  of  the  governor  of  Mecca.  Passing 
the  promontory  of  Ras-Ahehas  the  traveller  comes  to  a 
desert  shore  lined  with  islets  and  rocks.     It  was  in  this 

*  Narrative  of  Operations.  &c.  vol.  ii.  p.  69. 

t  Quatremere,  Hist.  Geog.  sur  l'Egypte,  vol.  ii.  p.  135-139  ;  Strab.  Geo- 
graph,  lib.  xvii.  c.  1. 

G2 


78  GEOGRAPHICAL    OUTLINES    OF 

wild  region  that  the  Ptolemys  procured  the  elephants  which 
they  required  for  the  use  of  their  armies  ;  and  here  Lord 
Valentia  found  a  large  harbour,  to  which  he  gave  the  name 
of  Port  Mornington.  About  the  sixteenth  degree  of  lati- 
tude is  the  island  of  Dhalac,  the  largest  in  the  Red  Sea, 
being  more  than  sixty  miles  in  circumference.  It  produces 
goats  with  long  silky  hair,  and  furnishes  a  sort  of  gum-lac, 
which  exudes  from  a  particular  shrub.  The  celebrity  it 
once  enjoyed  for  pearls  has  long  since  passed  away  ;  the 
specimens  which  are  now  procured  being  of  a  yellow  colour 
and  little  esteemed. 

In  a  gulf  formed  on  the  coast  stands  Masuah,  which, 
though  situated  on  an  arid  rock,  possesses  a  safe  harbour, 
and  may  now  be  regarded  as  the  main  approach  to  Abys- 
sinia from  the  east.  Near  it  is  Arkeeko,  which  has  also  the 
advantage  of  a  good  anchorage,  rendered  however  of  small 
value  by  its  exposure  to  the  prevailing  winds.  This  low, 
sandy,  and  burning  coast  is  occupied  by  some  nomadic 
tribes,  the  Shiho,  who  are  very  black,  and  the  Hazorto,  who 
have  a  copper-coloured  complexion.  These  people,  like  the 
ancient  Troglodytes,  inhabit  holes  in  the  rocks,  or  hovels 
made  of  rushes  and  seaweed.  Leading  a  pastoral  life,  they 
change  their  dwelling  as  soon  as  the  rains  have  produced 
a  little  verdure  on  their  parched  soil ;  for,  as  is  well  known, 
when  the  wet  season  ends  on  the  coast  it  begins  among  the 
mountains.  They  are  said  to  have  abjured  their  allegiance 
to  the  sultan,  and  acknowledged  the  supremacy  of  the  native 
monarch. 

The  portion  of  the  shore  now  delineated  used  to  be  called 
the  Midre  Baharnagash,  or  the  Land  of  the  Sea-king,  whose 
government  formerly  extended  from  Suakin  to  the  Straits 
of  Babel  Mandeb.  Baroa,  its  ancient  capital,  situated  on 
the  Mareb,  was  in  Bruce's  time  in  the  hands  of  the  naib  of 
Masuah  ;  and  it  is  still  considered  as  the  key  of  Abyssinia 
towards  the  gulf.  Farther  to  the  south  the  coast  takes  the 
name  of  Dancali,  or,  according  to  Niebuhr,  Denakil,  con- 
sisting of  a  desert  plain,  and  supplying  no  valuable  pro- 
duction except  salt.  Beyond  the  straits,  terminating  the 
Arabian  Gulf,  succeeds  the  kingdom  or  province  of  Adel,  a 
country  concerning  which  our  information  is  so  imperfect, 
that  we  presume  not  to  tantalize  the  reader  with  an  appear- 
ance of  facts  having  no  better  foundation  than  ingenious 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA. 


79 


conjecture.  On  the  shores  of  the  ocean  are  the  Somaulies, 
a  people  who  are  supposed  to  possess  the  lands  which  in 
ancient  times  belonged  to  the  Macrobian  Ethiopians  men- 
tioned by  Herodotus,  and  celebrated  for  an  unusual  length  of 
life.  Of  these  we  shall  have  occasion  to  take  some  notice 
in  the  sequel  ;  meantime  we  proceed  to, give  a  tabular  view 
of  the  Abyssinian  provinces,  which  will  serve  much  better 
than  the  most  minute  description  to  illustrate  the  distribu- 
tion, the  extent,  and  the  relative  position  of  the  several 
parts  of  that  great  empire. 


I.    ASIHARA. 

1.  Amhara  Proper. 

5>  Begemder. 

2.  Dembea. 

6.  Angote. 

3.  Damot. 

7.  Walaka. 

4.  Gojam. 

8.  Marrabet. 

II.     TIGRE. 

1.  Tigre  Proper. 

7.  Avergale. 

2.  Agame. 

8.  Samen. 

3.  Enderta. 

9.  Temben. 

4.  Wojjerat,  or  Wogara. 

10.  Sire,  or  Shire" 

5.  Wofila. 

11.  Walkayt. 

6.  Lasta. 

12.  Waldubba. 

RE    BAHARNAGASH,  OR    DISTRICT    OF    THE    PRINCE 

1.  Masuah. 

6.  Amphila. 

2.  Arkeeko. 

7.  Madir. 

3.  Weah. 

8.  Arena. 

4.  Zullo. 

9.  Duroro. 

5.  Tubbo. 

10.  Jarvela. 

IV.  INDEPENDENT    STATES    IN    THE    SOUTH. 

1.  Shoa. 

7.  Cambat. 

2.  Efat. 

8.  Hurrur. 

3.  Gooderoo. 

9.  Gidm. 

4.  Enarea. 

10.  Adel. 

5.  Gurague. 

11.  Bali. 

6.  Kaffa. 

12.  Dawaro. 

We  do  not  think  it  expedient  to  encumber  our  pages 
with  the  more  minute  geographical  distinctions,  which  are 
not  only  expressed  in  language  extremely  uncouth,  but  are 
moreover  applied  to  districts  whose  limits  are  still  undeter- 
mined. The  curious  reader  will  find  numerous  details  in 
the  works  of  Bruce,  Salt,  Lord  Valentia,  Niebuhr,  and  Malte 
Brun,  darkened  however  by  an  unnecessary  variation  in  the 
nomenclature,  and  sometimes,  we  are  sorry  to  add,  by  the 
cloud  of  ignorance  and  of  controversy. 


80  CIVIL    HISTORY    OP 


CHAPTER  III. 

Civil  History  of  Nubia  and  Abyssinia. 

Variety  of  Opinion  in  regard  to  Ethiop;ans — Aboriginal  and  mixed  with 
Arabians— Queen  of  Sheba— Book  of  Axum— Abyssinians  converted 
to  Christianity — Extent  of  their  Dominions — Wars  hi  Arabia — Arrival 
of  Portuguese— History  of  Nubia— Cambyses — Macrobians— Table  of 
the  Sun— Explanation  by  Heeren — Ptolemy  Euergetes— War  with 
Candace — Success  of  Petronius— Period  of  Darkness  respecting  Ethio- 
pia— Prester  John — Mission  of  Covilham — Of  Matthew — Alvarez — 
Camp  of  the  Abyssinian  Monarch— Interview  with  David  III. — Ordi- 
nation of  Clergy — Stephen  de  Gama — Bermudez  the  Abuna— Oviedo  — 
Peter  Paez— Jerome  Lobo— Hatred  towards  Catholics — Poncet— Bruce 
—State  of  Abyssinia— Ras  Michael— Ozoro  Esther — Manuscripts  col- 
lected by  Bruce— History  of  Abyssinia— Revolt  of  Judith— Restoration 
of  the  line  of  Solomon— List  of  Kings— Galla— War  among  Chiefs — 
Bruce  goes  to  the  sources  of  the  Nire— Fasil— The  Jumper — The 
Lamb— Kefla  Yasous—  Mr.  Salt— Outline  of  History— Pearce— His 
Adventures  under  Welled  Selasse — Death  of  Ras— Demise  of  the 
King — Rise  of  Subegadis— Invasion  of  Nubia  by  Ishmael  Pasha— Bat- 
tles with  Sheygyans— Act  of  Generosity — Cruelty  of  Egyptian  Army 
—Character  of  Sheygyans— Expedition  of  Ibrahim— Death  of  Ishmael 
— Spirit  of  Insurrection  in  conquered  Provinces. 

In  regard  to  all  ancient  nations  which  had  no  immediate 
intercourse  with  the  Hebrews,  the  Greeks,  or  the  Romans, 
the  historical  notices  are  extremely  obscure  or  altogether 
fabulous.  On  this  account  we  remain  in  comparative 
ignorance  of  every  thing  which  respects  the  origin  of 
the  two  interesting  countries  whose  annals  we  are  now 
about  to  trace.  Ethiopia,  it  is  true,  is  repeatedly  men- 
tioned in  the  Sacred  Volume ;  but  all  the  allusions  to 
it  are  conveyed  in  language  so  general,  that  we  are 
not  supplied  with  a  satisfactory  light  relative  to  the  lin- 
eage of  the  people,  their  first  form  of  government,  their 
religion,  or  their  laws.  Hence  there  prevails  among 
modern  writers  a  great  variety  of  opinion  on  all  the  heads 
now  specified  ;  and  more  particularly  in  reference  to  the  ex- 
traction and  language  of  the  early  colonists  who  occupied 
the  country  which  stretches  from  the  Red  Sea  to  the  Nile, 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  81 

and  from  Sennaar  to  the  borders  of  Egypt.  The  remarks 
of  Herodotus,  the  first  European  historian  whose  attention 
was  drawn  to  Nubia,  apply  to  a  period  which  will  be 
deemed  comparatively  recent,  if  the  date  be  measured  by 
the  antiquity  claimed  for  the  surrounding  nations  ;  being 
confined  to  the  enterprise  of  Cambyses,  who,  stimulated  by 
the  fame  of  certain  golden  mines,  wished  to  carry  his  arms 
beyond  the  sources  of  the  Bahr  el  Azrek. 

It  is  not  our  intention  to  exhaust  the  patience  of  the 
reader  on  merely  hypothetical  views  respecting  the  origin 
of  the  various  tribes  which  now  dwell  on  the  banks  of  the 
Upper  Nile  and  the  western  side  of  the  Red  Sea.  The 
more  probable  opinion,  as  we  have  already  suggested,  is 
that  they  are  descended  from  a  race  of  aboriginal  Africans, 
who  in  the  course  of  time  mixed  with  the  primitive  inhab- 
itants, and  among  the  Sabaeans  and  Hamyrites,  with  whom 
they  established  an  early  connexion.  This  opinion  is  fur- 
ther confirmed  by  the  fact  that,  in  the  history  of  Arabia 
Felix,  collected  from  several  indigenous  authors  by  Schul- 
tens,  the  Abyssinians  are  described  as  a  different  people 
from  the  natives  of  the  eastern  shore  of  the  gulf.  It  is  ad- 
mitted, that  in  the  intercourse  carried  on  with  the  opposite 
coast  vast  numbers  of  Arabians  must  have  mingled  with 
the  Axumites  ;  but  still  it  appears  that  in  feature,  colour, 
habit,  and  manners  they  form  a  distinct  order  of  men.* 

The  Abyssinians  themselves,  although  perfectly  ignorant 
of  the  time  and  circumstances  which  marked  the  settlement 
of  their  ancestors  on  the  western  shores  of  the  Arabian 
Gulf,    have    insisted  upon  connecting  their  original  faith, 

*The  learned  editor  of  Brace's  Travels  founded,  on  the  radical  dis- 
tinction between  the  languages  of  Esypt  and  Arabia,  an  argument  that 
the  former  country  could  not  have  been  peopled  from  the  latter  ;  and,  by 
the  same  process  of  reasoning,  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  the  Egyp"- 
tians  and  Ethiopians  were  of  the  same  lineage,  and  probably  descended 
from  a  Libyan  tribe  quite  unconnected  with  the  oriental  Cushites.  In 
the  Appendix  to  the  seventh  volume,  however,  of  the  last  edition  of  that 
work,  Dr.  Murray  inserted  a  "  Chronological  Table  of  the  Kings  of  Abys- 
sinia," in  which  he  remarks,  "  that  the  Abyssinians,  being  undoubtedly  a 
colony  of  Arabs  from  Hamyar  or  Yemen,  can  have  no  just  pretensions 
to  any  affinity  with  the  Jews."  In  maintaining  the  Arabic  origin  of  the 
Abyssinians,  Dr.  Murray  contradicts  the  general  current  of  tradition, 
and  is  hardly  consistent  with  himself.— See  Appendix  to  volume  ii.  No. 
2,  entitled,  "Additional  Proofs  that  Egypt  was  peopled  from  the  South 
and  the  Confines  of  Ethiopia. 


82 


CIVIL  HISTORY  OF 


their  civil  polity,  as  well  as  the  pedigree  of  their  royal  house, 
with  the  visit  of  the  Queen  of  Sheba  to  King  Solomon  at 
Jerusalem.  The  events  now  alluded  to  are  incorporated  in 
a  treatise  called  the  Chronicle  of  the  Kings  of  Abyssinia  ; 
the  author  of  which  says,  "  We  write  the  law  and  custom 
of  the  government  of  Ibn  Hakim  (or  Menilec),  the  son  of 
Solomon.  With  him  came  the  twelve  doctors  of  the  law 
that  form  the  right-hand  bench  in  judgment."  He  next 
mentions  the  other  officers  of  eminence  who  came  along 
with  this  prince  ;  such  as  "  the  master  of  the  horse,  high 
chamberlain,  and  he  who  carried  the  Ten  Commandments 
and  holy  water."  This  work,  of  which  the  authority  does 
not  stand  high,  is  sometimes  entitled  Kebir  Zaneguste,  or 
Glory  of  the  Kings.  It  is  regarded  indeed  by  the  natives 
as  a  faithful  repository  of  their  ancient  history  ;  though  the 
slightest  attention  to  it  will  convince  the  reader  that  it  is  the 
production  of  an  ignorant  monk,  who  used  the  Septuagint 
translation  of  the  Bible  as  the  groundwork  of  a  ridiculous 
fable,  with  the  sole  view  of  ministering  to  the  vanity  of  his 
countrymen.* 

The  chronicle  begins  with  a  list  of  the  emperors,  from 
Arwe,  or  the  Serpent,  to  Menilec,  some  of  whom  are  said 
to  have  reigned  several  centuries.  From  this  son  of  Solomon 
downwards  the  succession  has  an  aspect  somewhat  more 
probable,  though  no  dependence  can  be  placed  upon  its 
accuracy. 

T.  M. 

Haduna  reigned 9  0 

Za    Wasih 1  0 

Zah-Dir 2  0 

Za  Awezena 1  0 

Za   Berwas 29  0 

Za  Mataazi 1  0 

Zabaesi   Bazen 16  0 

And  in  the  8th  year  of  his  reign 
Christ  was  born. 


T.  M. 

Menilec  reigned 9    0 

Za  Hendadyn 1    0 

Awda 11    0 

ZaAwsyn 3    0 

ZaTsawe 3  10 

Zagesyn half  a  day 

Za  Maute 8    4 

ZaBahse 9    0 

Kawude 2    0 

Kanazi 10    0 


In  a  subsequent  part  of  this  catalogue  is  found  Zahekale  ; 
which  is  without  doubt  the  name  of  the  sovereign  who 
reigned  in  Abyssinia  at  the  time  when  the  Periplus  of  the  Ery- 
thraean Sea  was  written.     The  author  of  that  work,  adopting 


*  Bruce's  Travels,  vol.  iii.  p. 


NUBIA    AND   ABYSSINIA.  83 

the  slight  modification  required  by  the  Greek  language, 
calls  him  Zoskales  ;  and,  according  to  the  native  document 
just  quoted,  he  is  represented  as  having  ruled  between  the 
years  76  and  99  of  the  Christian  era.  It  is,  as  Mr.  Salt 
remarks,  an  extraordinary  circumstance  that  this  date  should 
agree  very  nearly  with  the  period  to  which  Dr.  Vincent  has 
attributed  the  appearance  of  the  celebrated  treatise  by 
Arrian,  namely,  to  the  tenth  year  of  Nero,  or  A.  D.  64,  making 
a  difference  of  not  more  than  twelve  years, — a  singular  co- 
incidence, which  necessarily  adds  a  very  important  confir- 
mation to  both  accounts.* 

In  the  same  list,  extracted  from  the  Chronicle,  are  the 
names  of  the  princes  who  swayed  the  sceptre  when  the 
Axumites  were  converted  to  the  Christian  religion.  From 
the  narrative  of  Rufinus  and  other  ecclesiastical  writers,  it 
is  manifest  that  the  person  named  Frumentius  was  the  Abba 
Salama  or  Fremonatos,  as  he  is  elsewhere  denominated, 
who,  after  having  resided  some  time  in  Abyssinia,  was 
raised  to  the  rank  of  a  bishop  by  Athanasius,  the  patriarch 
of  Alexandria.  It  subsequently  appears,  that  during  the 
following  reign,  when  the  Arians  gained  the  ascendency, 
the  Emperor  Constantius  sent  an  embassy  through  Theo- 
philus  an  Indian,  with  a  letter  addressed  to  the  ruling  sov- 
ereigns Aizana  and  Saizana,  for  the  purpose  of  persuading 
Frumentius  to  relinquish  the  doctrines  of  his  patron,  and  to 
adopt  those  of  his  successor  Georgius.  That  such  mon- 
archs  governed  Abyssinia  is  clearly  proved  by  the  inscription 
which  Mr.  Salt  discovered  at  Axum  ;  and  though  there  may 
be  some  slight  chronological  difficulties  to  overcome,  there  is 
little  doubt  that  the  names  of  the  two  princes  who  swayed 
the  joint  sceptre  in  the  year  356, — the  date  of  the  imperial 
mandate, — have  been  satisfactorily  ascertained.  1 

At  this  period,  the  middle  of  the  fourth  century,  the  power 
of  the  Abyssinian  kings  seems  to  have  been  fully  estab- 
lished, and  their  conquests  to  have  extended  over  part  of 
Arabia,  and  from  Zeyla  up  to  the  junction  of  the  Tacazze 
with  the  Nile.  Such  at  least  are  the  limits  of  the  jurisdic- 
tion implied  in  one  of  the  Adulitic  inscriptions,  published 
by  the  author  whose  name  we  have  just  recited,  and  which 
is  understood  to  commemorate  the  transactions  of  a  native 

*  Salt's  Abyssinia,  p.  463.  t  Ibid.y  464. 


84  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

sovereign,  and  in  all  probability  the  same  prince  who  erected 
the  monument  at  Axum. 

About  two  hundred  years  elapse  before  the  Abyssinians, 
or  Axumites,  as  they  were  then  denominated,  assume  again 
a  prominent  place  in  the  page  of  history.  But  at  the  ter- 
mination of  this  interval,  owing  to  the  complete  command 
which  they  had  already  gained  in  the  Red  Sea,  they  began 
to  take  the  lead  in  the  politics  of  Eastern  Africa.  Hence 
they  are  frequently  mentioned  both  in  the  Greek  and  Arabian 
authors  ;  whose  accounts  in  general  are  extremely  con- 
sistent ;  though,  from  the  variation  in  names  and  other 
sources  of  obscurity,  no  small  trouble  has  been  experienced 
in  reconciling  them  to  each  other. 

In  the  sixth  century  the  arms  of  Abyssinia  appear  to 
have  been  attended  with  considerable  success  against  the 
Persians  in  Arabia,  who  about  this  period  laid  claim  to  a 
large  portion  of  that  peninsula.  But  it  is  admitted  that  the 
conquest  of  Yemen  was  not  attended  with  advantages 
equivalent  to  the  hazard  and  glory  of  the  war  by  which  it 
had  been  gained  ;  for  the  troops  sent  over  became  so  enam- 
oured of  the  country  that  they  permanently  settled  there, 
and  soon  lost  every  tie,  except  a  nominal  allegiance,  which 
had  bound  them  to  the  parent  state.  In  the  year  592,  as 
nearly  as  can  be  calculated'  from  the  dates  given  by  the 
native  writers,  the  Persians,  whose  power  seems  to  have 
kept  pace  with  the  decline  of  the  Roman  empire,  sent  a 
great  force  against  the  Abyssinians,  possessed  themselves 
once  more  of  Arabia,  acquired  a  naval  superiority  in  the 
Gulf,  and  secured  the  principal  ports   on  either  side  of  it. 

It  is  uncertain  how  long  those  conquerors  retained  their 
acquisition  ;  but,  in  all  probability,  their  ascendency  again 
gave  way  to  the  rising  greatness  of  the  Mohammedan 
power  ;  which  soon  afterward  overwhelmed  all  the  nations 
contiguous  to  Arabia,  spread  to  the  remotest  parts  of  the 
East,  and  even  penetrated  the  African  deserts  from  Egypt 
to  the  Congo.  Meanwhile  Abyssinia,  though  within  two 
hundred  miles  of  the  walls  of  Mecca,  remained  unconquered 
and  true  to  the  Christian  faith;  presenting  a  mortifying 
and  galling  object  to  the  more  zealous  followers  of  the 
Prophet.  On  this  account,  implacable  and  incessant  wars 
ravaged  her  territories ;  as  the  native  princes  on  the  eastern 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  85 

borders  were  supplied  with  money  and  arms  by  the  sher- 
iffes,  whose  attention  never  ceased  to  be  directed  to  the 
conquest  of  that  country.  She  lost  her  commerce,  saw 
her  consequence  annihilated,  her  capital  threatened,  and 
the  richest  of  her  provinces  laid  waste  ;  but  her  con- 
stancy to  the  true  religion  remained  unshaken,  and  her 
belief  afforded  throughout  the  protracted  struggle  the  most 
vigorous  motives  to  her  patriotism.  Yet.  there  is  reason 
to  apprehend  that  she  must  shortly  have  sunk  under  the 
pressure  of  repeated  invasions,  had  not  the  Portuguese 
arrived  at  a  seasonable  moment  to  aid  her  endeavours 
against  the  Moslem  chiefs. 

The  event  now  mentioned  took  place  about  the  middle  of 
the  sixteenth  century,  when  Claudius  sat  on  the  throne,  who, 
as  well  as  his  father  David,  to  whom  he  had  just  succeeded, 
had  been  for  some  years  engaged  in  a  defensive  war 
against  Mohammed  Gragne,  king  of  A  del,  one  of  the  most 
bloodthirsty  barbarians  whose  names  history  has  recorded. 
The  appearance  of  European  troops,  as  might  be  expected, 
soon  changed  the  aspect  of  affairs  ;  and  after  many  despe- 
rate battles  in  which  the  Portuguese  were  chiefly  engaged 
under  their  brave  commander  Diego  de  Gama,  the  Moors 
were  driven  back,  their  leader  killed,  and  their  armies  nearly 
destroyed.  The  fleet,  meantime,  riding  triumphant  in  the 
Red  Sea,  cut  off  from  the  invaders  all  hope  of  succour,  and 
prevented  the  approach  of  those  reinforcements  which  would 
have  been  sent  by  the  Arabian  governors. 

But,  before  we  enter  into  any  details  relative  to  the  inter- 
course of  Abyssinia  with  the  nations  of  the  West,  we  must 
return  for  a  short  space  to  the  consideration  of  certain  notices 
contained  in  the  works  of  Greek  and  Roman  writers,  re- 
specting the  more  ancient  condition  of  the  country  on  the 
Upper  JVile. 

We  have  already  alluded  to  the  expedition  undertaken  by 
Cambyses,  the  Persian  monarch  and  conqueror  of  Egypt, 
against  the  M  aerobian  Ethiopians,  whose  country  was  said 
to  possess  vast  quantities  of  gold.  With  this  view  he  se- 
lected an  embassy  from  among  the  Ichthyophagi,  or  fish- 
eaters  of  Elephantine,  who  understood  their  language,  and 
sent  them  to  the  sovereign  of  the  distant  nation  with  pres- 
ents, consisting  of  a  purple  robe,  a  golden  necklace,  brace- 
lets, perfumes,  and  a  cask  of  palm-wine.  The  Macrobian 
H 


86  CIVIL    HISTORY   OF 

monarch  soon  discovered  that  these  ambassadors  were  spies. 
He  looked  at  the  gifts  of  which  they  were  bearers,  and  im- 
mediately returned  the  robe,  the  perfumes,  the  bracelets, 
and  the  necklace,  taking  these  last  for  a  species  of  fetter. 
The  wine,  which  he  found  very  agreeable,  he  was  pleased 
to  retain.  He  asked  how  long  the  Persians  lived,  and  what 
their  king  was  accustomed  to  eat.  They  informed  him  that 
he  subsisted  chiefly  on  bread,  describing  at  the  same  time 
the  nature  of  corn  ;  and  added,  that  the  greatest  age  to 
which  his  subjects  attained  was  eighty  years.  He  answered, 
that  he  was  not  surprised  at  their  living  no  longer,  consid- 
ering the  rubbish  on  which  they  fed  ;  and  that  probably 
they  would  not  live  even  so  long  were  it  not  for  their  good 
drink,  in  which  he  allowed  they  certainly  excelled  the  Ma- 
crobians.  Upon  being  asked  in  his  turn  to  what  age  his 
people  arrived,  and  upon  what  they  subsisted,  he  replied  a 
hundred  years  and  sometimes  longer,  and  that  their  food 
was  boiled  flesh  and  milk.  He  sent  to  Cambyses,  as  an 
acknowledgment  of  his  gift,  a  great  bow,  and  told  the  am- 
bassadors to  inform  their  master,  that  when  he  could  bend 
it  as  easily  as  one  of  his  own  countrymen,  he  might  under- 
take an  expedition  against  the  Macrobians. 

When  the  spies  expressed  astonishment  at  the  length  of 
life  in  Ethiopia,  they  were  conducted,  says  Herodotus,  to  a 
certain  fountain,  in  which  having  bathed  they  became  shi- 
ning as  if  anointed  with  oil,  and  emitted  from  their  bodies 
the  perfume  of  violets.  But  they  asserted  that  the  water 
was  of  so  unsubstantial  a  nature,  that  neither  wood  nor  any 
thing  still  lighter  than  wood  would  float  on  its  surface,  but 
every  thing  instantly  sank  to  the  bottom.  If  their  represen- 
tation in  this  respect  was  true,  the  constant  use  of  it,  con- 
cludes the  historian,  may  probably  explain  the  extreme 
length  of  life  which  the  Ethiopians  attain.* 

There  was  shown  to  the  envoys,  as  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable things  in  that  strange  land,  what  was  called  the 

*  Thalia,  chap.  23.  "  Cada  Mosto,  who  made  a  voyage  to  Senegal  in 
the  year  1455.  affirms  that  the  natives  made  use  of  a  certain  oil  in  the  pre- 
paration of  their  food,  which  possessed  a  threefold  property ;  that  of  smell- 
ing like  violets,  tasting  like  oil  of  olives,  and  of  tinging  the  victuals 
with  a  colour  more  beautiful  than  saffron." — Beloe's  Herodotus. 

It  is  not  improbable  that  the  fountain  of  the  Macrebians  was  supplied 
with  an  essence  similar  to  the  one  now  described,  extracted  from  the 
imlp  or  kernels  of  certain  fruits 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  87 

Table  of  the  Sun.  This  was  a  meadow  in  the  skirts  of  the 
city,  in  which  much  boiled  flesh  was  laid  ;  placed  there  by 
the  magistrates  every  night,  and  free  to  all  who  might 
choose  to  eat  it  during  the  following  day.  The  inhabitants, 
whose  inquiries  were  not  allowed  to  be  very  profound,  were 
taught  to  say  that  the  earth  brought  it  forth.  The  ambas- 
sadors were  next  led  to  the  prison,  where  the  captives 
were  bound  in  golden  fetters ;  brass  among  the  Ethi- 
opians being  one  of  the  greatest  rarities.  Finally,  they 
were  conducted  to  see  the  sepulchres  or  tombs,  which  are 
represented  as  being  made  of  glass  in  the  following  manner  : 
The  corpse,  after  being  prepared  as  in  Egypt,  is  covered 
over  with  plaster,  upon  which  is  painted  the  portrait  of  the 
deceased  as  like  as  possible.  It  is  then  placed  in  a  case  of 
glass  or  native  crystal,  which  they  dig  up  in  great  abun- 
dance. The  dead  body  remains  in  this  frame,  without  any 
disgusting  appearance  or  smell,  a  whole  year ;  the  nearest 
relation  keeping  it  in  his  house  and  offering  it  sacrifices  ; 
after  which  it  is  taken  into  the  city  and  deposited  with  the 
others. 

After  executing  their  commission  the  envoys  returned  ; 
and  Cambyses,  we  are  told  by  the  Greek  historian,  was  so 
incensed  at  their  recital,  that  he  determined  to  proceed  in- 
stantly against  the  Ethiopians,  without  even  providing  for 
the  necessary  sustenance  of  his  army,  or  reflecting  that  he 
was  about  to  visit  the  utmost  boundaries  of  the  earth. 
The  moment  that  he  heard  the  report  of  the  Icthyophagi,  like 
one  deprived  of  all  the  powers  of  reason,  he  commenced  his 
march  with  the  whole  body  of  his  infantry,  leaving  no  forces 
behind  but  such  Greeks  as  had  accompanied  him  to  Egypt. 
On  his  arrival  at  Thebes  he  selected  from  his  host  about 
fifty  thousand  men,  whom  he  ordered  to  make  an  incursion 
against  the  Ammonians,  and  to  burn  the  place  from  which 
the  oracles  of  Jupiter  were  delivered  ;  he  himself  with  the 
remainder  of  his  troops  marched  against  the  Macrobians. 
Before  he  had  performed  a  fifth  part  of  his  intended  expedi- 
tion, the  provisions  Which  he  had  carried  with  him  were  totally 
consumed.  The  soldiers  proceeded  to  eat  the  beasts  which 
carried  the  baggage  ;  but  these  also  soon  failed.  If,  observes 
Herodotus,  after  these  incidents  Cambyses  had  permitted  his 
passions  to  cool,  and  had  led  his  army  back  again,  he  might. 


88  civil  history  ofr 

notwithstanding  his  indiscretion,  still  have  deserved  praise. 
But  instead  of  this,  his  infatuation  continued,  and  he  per- 
severed in  his  march.  His  men,  as  long  as  the  earth  af- 
forded them  any  sustenance,  were  content  to  feed  on  roots 
and  plants  ;  but  no  sooner  had  they  arrived  among  the  sands 
of  the  desert,  than  some  of  them  were  prompted  by  famine 
to  proceed  to  the  most  horrid  extremities.  They  drew  lots, 
and  every  tenth  man  was  destined  to  satisfy  the  hunger  of 
the  rest.  When  the  king  received  intelligence  of  this  fact, 
he  became  alarmed  at  the  idea  of  his  troops  devouring 
one  another,  and  resolved  to  abandon  his  design.  After 
losing  a  great  part  of  his  army,  he  arrived  in  due  time  at 
Thebes,  from  whence  he  proceeded  to  Memphis,  where  he 
permitted  the  Greeks  to  embark  for  their  own  country.* 

It  is  generally  agreed  that  the  Macrobians,  or  long-lived 
Ethiopians,  occupy  the  country  which  stretches  eastward  from 
the  straits  of  Bab  el  Mandeb  along  the  African  coast.  The 
following  extract  from  Cosmas,  usually  called  Indicopleustes, 
relates,  it  is  probable,  to  the  same  people,  and  perhaps  affords 
an  explanation  of  the  least  credible  part  of  the  narrative 
given  by  the  spies  of  Cambyses, — their  notice  in  regard  to 
the  Altar  or  Table  of  the  Sun.  "  The  land  of  frankincense," 
says  he,  "lies  at  the  farthest  end  of  Ethiopia,  fifty  days' 
journey  from  Axum,  at  no  great  distance  from  the  ocean, 
though  it  does  not  touch  it.  The  inhabitants  of  the  neigh- 
bouring Barbaria,  or  the  country  of  Sasu,  fetch  from  thence 
frankincense  and  other  costly  spices,  which  they  transport 
by  water  to  Arabia  Felix  and  India.  This  country  of  Sasu 
is  very  rich  in  gold  mines.  Every  year  the  king  of  Axum 
sends  some  of  his  people  to  this  place  for  gold.  These  are 
joined  by  many  other  merchants,  so  that  altogether  they 
form  a  caravan  of  about  five  hundred  persons.  They  carry 
with  them  oxen,  salt,  and  iron.  When  they  arrive  upon 
the  frontiers  of  the  country  they  take  up  their  quarters,  and 
make  a  large  barrier  of  thorns.  In  the  mean  time,  having 
slain  and  cut  up  their  oxen,  they  lay  the  pieces  of  flesh,  as 
well  as  the  iron  and  salt,  upon  the  thorns.  Then  come  the 
inhabitants  and  place  one  or  more  parcels  of  gold  upon  the 
wares,  and  wait  outside  the  enclosure.     The  owners  of  the 

*  Herodotus,  Thalia,  chap.  25. 


* 


NUBIA   AND   ABYSSINIA.  89 

flesh  and  other  goods  then  examine  whether  this  be  equal 
to  the  price  or  not.  If  so,  they  take  the  gold,  and  the  others 
take  the  wares  ;  if  not,  the  latter  still  add  more  gold,  or 
take  back  what  they  had  already  put.  down.  The  trade  is 
carried  on  in  this  manner  because  the  languages  are  different, 
and  they  have  no  interpreter  :  it  takes  about  five  days  to 
dispose  of  the  goods  they  bring  with  them."* 

From  this  statement,  M.  Heeren  concludes,  with  much 
show  of  reason,  that  the  Altar  of  the  Sun  is  the  market- 
place in  which  the  trade  with  the  strangers  is  transacted. 
When  we  consider  that  even  now  almost  all  the  commerce 
of  Africa  is  carried  on  under  the  protection  of  sanctuaries 
and  temples,  we  can  scarcely  wonder  that  religious  notions 
should  be  connected  with  this  mercantile  establishment, 
upon  which,  perhaps,  the  subsistence  of  the  inhabitants 
depended. 

This  kind  of  dumb  trade  will  not  appear  strange  to  those 
Who  are  acquainted  with  the  usages  of  barbarous  nations  in 
other  parts  of  Africa,  where  the  practice  is  still  continued. 
When  it  is  said  that  the  chiefs  of  the  people  laid  the  flesh 
down  at  night,  and  that  in  the  .day  any  one  who  chose  might 
eat  of  it,  while  the  inhabitants  at  large  reported  that  it 
sprang  from  the  earth,  we  are  only  to  infer,  that  this  impor- 
tant trade  was  conducted  under  the  inspection  of  the  public 
magistrates  ;  that  every  one  took  what  he  thought  proper  on 
leaving  an  equivalent ;  and  that,  as  the  merchants  who  sup- 
plied it  came  from  a  distant  land,  and  were  not  themselves 
seen  in  the  transaction,  a  vulgar  error,  like  the  one  men- 
tioned, might  very  naturally  arise.  By  the  boiled  flesh  no- 
ticed by  Herodotus  must  probably  be  understood  dried  flesh, 
as  this  is  the  usual  way  it  is  preserved  in  those  regions, 
where,  as  Mr.  Bruce  informs  us,  it  is  still  considered  a  great 
dainty.* 

The  views  now  stated  derive  a  strong  confirmation  from 
the  fact,  that  a  trade  in  similar  commodities  continues  to  be 
carried  on  at  the  present  day.  Lord  Valentia,  who  crossed 
over  from  Mocha,  has  given  us  some  interesting  information 
on  this  head,  upon  which  we  may  rely,  and  which,  besides, 
has  the  merit  of  being  as  new  and  accurate  as  it  is  authentic 

*  Cosmas,  p.  138,  139.    This  author  wrote  about  the  year  535. 
f  Heeren's  Historical  Researches,  vol.  i.  p.  333 

H2 


90  CIVIL    HISTORY     OF 

"  The  coast  from  Bab  el  Mandeb  to  Guardafui  is  inhabited 
by  the  Somaulies,  a  very  dark  race  with  woolly  hair,  neither 
completely  negroes  nor  Arabians.  They  are  not  savages, 
as  Bruce  has  depicted  them,  but  a  friendly,  well-disposed 
people.  Their  country  is  the  natural  staple  for  the  com- 
merce between  Africa  and  Arabia,  and  in  it  the  greatest 
marts  are  found.  Gums,  myrrh  and  frankincense,  cattle  and 
slaves  are  the  commodities  exported  ;  in  exchange  for  which, 
as  well  as  for  gold  and  ivory,  they  receive  the  productions 
of  the  East,  including  those  from  the  remoter  parts  -of 
India."* 

After  the  attempt  of  Cambyses  on  the  upper  Nile,  some 
centuries  elapsed  before  the  ambition  or  covetousness  of 
Europeans  again  carried  their  arms  beyond  the  first  cataract. 
There  remains,  indeed,  some  evidence  that  Ptolemy  Euer- 
getes,  one  of  the  successors  of  Alexander,  made  an  attempt 
to  add  Ethiopia  to  his  Egyptian  dominions  ;  but  as  he 
appears  to  have  advanced  by  the  way  of  the  Red  Sea,  and. to 
have  aided  his  troops  by  means  of  a  naval  armament,  his  in- 
vasion was  not  attended  with  any  such  results  as  to  secure 
a  place  among  the  monuments  of  history.  It  was  not  till 
the  reign  of  Augustus,  about  twenty  years  before  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Christian  era,  that  the  Romans,  who  had  al- 
ready rendered  themselves  masters  of  the  kingdom  of  the  Pha- 
raohs, came  into  collision  with  the  independent  states  which 
still  flourished  near  the  ancient  Meroe. 

Strabo  and  the  historian  Dio  agree  in  tracing  the  origin 
of  the  war  with  Candace,  queen  of  the  Ethiopians,  to  the 
effort  made  by  iElius  Gallus,  who  appears  to  have  com- 
manded in  Upper  Egypt,  to  subdue  Arabia.  This  expe- 
dition is  at  the  same  time  remarkable  for  being  the  only  one 
which  that  warlike  people  ever  attempted  against  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  Desert.  The  burning  sands  and  pestilential 
winds  of  the  Arabian  plains  taught  the  subjects  of  Caisar, 
that,  courage,  even  when  seconded  by  the  most  perfect  dis- 
cipline, cannot  overcome  the  obstacles  opposed  by  the  laws 
of  nature.f 

As  the  neighbouring  provinces  of  the  Thebaid  were  left 

*  Valentia's  Travels,  vol.  ii.  p.  370. 

f  The  conquest  of  Arabia,  indeed,  seems  to  have  been  viewed  as  one  of 
those  events,  which,  if  realized,  would  celebrate  the  good  fortune  rather 
than  the  wisdom  of  him  who  accomplished  it.    Horace,  in  allusion  to  the 


NUBIA  AND  ABYSSINIA.  91 

destitute  of  troops,  the  soldiers  of  Candace,  after  forcing  the 
garrisons  of  Philse,  Syene,  and  Elephantine,  committed 
great  ravages  on  the  low  country,  demolished  the  emperor's 
statues  wherever  they  appeared,  and  finally  collected  a 
very  considerable  booty.  Petronius,  who  was  at  that  time 
prefect  of  Egypt,  feeling  that  it  was  inconsistent  with  the 
dignity  of  the  Roman  name  to  allow  this  insult  to  remain 
unpunished,  hastily  assembled  about  ten  thousand  men, 
and  proceeded  against  the  Ethiopians. 

The  invaders  were  not  qualified  to  resist  in  the  open  field 
an  attack  by  the  legions  ;  for  their  armour  consisted  chiefly 
of  a  huge  buckler  of  raw  hide,  hatchets,  and  spears  headed 
with  iron.  Only  a  few  could  boast  of  swords,  a  weapon  to 
which  they  were  not  accustomed.  The  issue  of  a  battle  in 
such  circumstances  could  not  remain  long  doubtful,  how- 
ever unequal  the  numbers  opposed.  The  warriors  of  Can- 
dace  accordingly,  after  a  brief  conflict,  fled,  and  were 
pursued  by  Petronius  into  the  farthest  recesses  of  their 
difficult  country.  The  queen,  unable  to  defend  her  capital, 
had  retired  to  a  strong-hold,  whence  she  sent  messengers  to 
make  proposals  for  peace  ;  but  the  Roman  general  would 
not  listen  to  conditions  until  he  had  reduced  and  plundered 
the  royal  city  Napata,  the  true  position  of  which  it  is  now 
not  easy  to  determine. 

His  success,  however,  did  not  secure  to  him  the  advan- 
tages of  a  permanent  conquest.  Finding  himself  about  900 
miles  above  Syene,  and  being  assured  that  if  he  advanced 
he  should  have  to  encounter  all  the  horrors  of  a  sandy 
desert,  without  provisions  or  water,  he  resolved  to  return  ; 
leaving  in  Primmis,  a  town  situated  on  the  Nile  below  the 
great  cataract,  a  garrison  of  four  hundred  men,  with  sup- 
plies for  two  years.     Candace  made  an  attempt  to  surprise 

fotal  enterprise  of  Gallus,  indulges  in   pleasantry  at  the  expense  of  hi* 
friend  Iceius,  who  appears  to  have  been  seized  with  a  military  rage. 
"  Icci,  beatis  nunc  Arabum  invides 
Gazas,  et  acrem  militiam  paras 
Non  antedevictis  Sabeeae 
Regibus."—  Ode  xxxx..  lib.i. 
lcciu-,  the  blest  Arabia's  gold 
Can  you  with  envious  eye  behold  : 
Or  will  you  boldy  take  the  field, 
And  teach  Sabaea's  king*  to  yield  1 


92  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

this  fort  and  expel  the  Roman  soldiers  ;  but  the  vigilance 
of  Petronius  was  not  to  be  deceived  in  a  matter  of  such  inv 
portance.  Still  he  could  not  fail  to  perceive  that  no  object 
worthy  of  the  expense  and  exertions  which  must  be  in« 
curred  would  be  obtained  by  the  prosecution  of  the  war. 
He  was  therefore  the  more  easily  induced  to  enter  into  a 
negotiation  with  the  queen,  who,  finding  that  she  was  un* 
equal  to  her  enemies  in  the  field,  had  renewed  her  solicita- 
tions for  peace.  It  is  related,  that  when  she  was  told  she 
must  send  ambassadors  to  Ccesar,  she  asked  who  he  was, 
and  where  he  lived.  Guides  were  supplied  to  conduct  hef 
envoys  to  Augustus,  who  happened  to  be  at  Samos.  He 
received  them  favourably  ;  and  not  only  acceded  to  the  re* 
quest  of  their  mistress,  but  relieved  her  from  the  tribute 
which  Petronius  had  thought  proper  to  impose. 

We  have  already  remarked  that  the  situation  of  Napata 
cannot  be  satisfactorily  determined  ;  and  we  may  now  add, 
that  the  obscurity  which  prevails  in  regard  to  this  point 
arises  from  the  indistinct  statements  left  by  the  ancient 
geographers.  Pliny,  with  a  view  to  describe  the  expedition 
of  Petronius,  mentions  a  variety  of  towns  which  he  reduced 
on  his  march,  and  adds,  that  the  greatest  distance  to 
which  he  attained  was  eight  hundred  and  seventy  miles 
southward  from  Syene.  But  he  likewise  gives  the  sub- 
stance of  a  report  made  by  certain  spies,  or  exphratores, 
6ent  by  Nero  to  ascertain  the  distance  from  the  borders  of 
Egypt  to  Meroe  ;  and  agreeably  to  this  authority  he  places 
Napata  five  hundred  and  twenty-four  miles  above  Es  Souan. 
If,  indeed,  we  suppose  that  the  longer  measurement  refers 
to  the  course  of  the  river  or  the  route  pursued  by  the  army, 
and  that  the  shorter  denotes  the  distance  in  a  straight  line, 
the  result  will  nearly  coincide  with  the  estimated  space  be- 
tween Phila?  and  Merawe,  or  even  the  position  of  the 
modern  Shendy.  Hence  Napata  may  be  placed  either  in 
the  kingdom  of  Dongola  near  the  Gebel  el  Berkal,  where 
there  are  the  remains  of  magnificent  buildings,  or  beyond 
the  Tacazze,  on  the  site  of  the  renowned  Meroe. 

As  the  historians  have  simply  recorded  that  the  Primmis 
or  Premnis,  where  the  Roman  prefect  established  his  gar- 
rison, was  below  the  great  cataract,  geographers,  misled  by 
this  ambiguous  description,  have  given  the  name  in  question 
both  to  the  town  of  Old  Dongola  and  to  Ibrim.     The  allu- 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  93 

sion,  it  is  obvious,  will  apply  to  either  ;  for  while  the  one  is 
only  a  little  removed  from  the  Falls  of  Wady  Haifa,  the 
other  is  at  no  great  distance  from  similar  rapids,  usually 
designated  the  third  cataract.  Perhaps,  in  the  modern 
Ibrim,  we  may  allow  ourselves  to  discover  a  contraction  of 
the  more  ancient  appellation  Primmis  ;  for  if  the  Latin  ter- 
mination be  removed,  and  one  labial  consonant  substituted 
for  another,  we  obtain  a  very  similar  sound.  It  is  therefore 
probable,  that  the  fortress  which  Petronius  selected  for  the 
soldiers  whom  he  deemed  it  expedient  to  leave  in  Nubia  as 
a  check  on  the  Ethiopian  queen,  was  that  situated  on  the 
strong  rock  which  overhangs  the  Nile  in  the  province  of 
Wady  Seboua. 

The  name  of  the  female  sovereign  to  whom  reference  has 
just  been  made,  will  naturally  associate  itself  in  the  mind 
with  the  narrative  contained  in  the  eighth  chapter  of  the 
Acts,  where  we  read  of  "  a  man  of  Ethiopia,  an  eunuch  of 
great  authority  under  Candace  queen  of  the  Ethiopians, 
who  had  the  charge  of  all  her  treasure,  and  had  come  to 
Jerusalem  for  to  worship."  As  more  than  fifty  years  elapsed 
between  the  expedition  of  Petronius  and  the  mission  of 
Philip  the  deacon  into  the  desert  of  Gaza,  it  is  not  probable 
that  the  ruler  mentioned  in  the  sacred  narrative  is  the  same 
individual  who  had  to  solicit  peace  from  Augustus  Caesar. 
It  is  more  likely  that  the  appellation  was  hereditary  in  the 
royal  house,  and  was  conferred  on  the  reigning  monarch  in 
the  manner  observed  by  the  Pharaohs,  the  Greek  princes  in 
Egypt,  and  the  Roman  emperors.  There  is,  indeed  a  tra- 
dition, that  the  people  of  the  Upper  Nile  were  long  governed 
by  queens  ;  and  the  practice,  still  followed  in  some  parts  of 
Dongola,  of  placing  a  young  woman  at  the  head  of  their 
armies,  may  have  originated  in  that  usage. 

From  the  facts  brought  to  light  by  the  invasion  of  Pe- 
tronius it  is  manifest,  that  about  the  commencement  of  the 
Christian  era  there  was  in  Ethiopia  an  independent  kingdom 
apparently  unconnected  with  Abyssinia.  The  dominions 
of  Candace  appear  to  have  extended  over  the  valleys  watered 
by  the  river,  and  perhaps  over  part  of  the  neighbouring 
deserts  with  which  these  fertile  plains  are  encompassed. 
There  is  no  allusion  made  by  Strabo  or  Dio  to  the  territories 
which  stretch  towards  the  Red  Sea  ;  and  it  is  remarkable 
that,  among  the  various  catalogues  of  sovereigns  obtained 

\ 


91  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

by  Bruce  and  Mr.  Salt  during  their  residence  in  the  former 
country,  the  name  of  this  celebrated  queen  has  not  been 
found. 

The  subsequent  history  of  this  particular  section  of 
Ethiopia  is  shrouded  in  utter  darkness.  We  know  not 
when  the  successors  of  Candace  ceased  to  enjoy  power,  or 
by  what  series  of  events  their  throne  was  cast  down ; 
whether  by  the  regular  assault  of  Abyssinian  armies  led  by 
an  ambitious  prince,  or  by  the  inroads  of  the  savage  tribes 
who  occupied  the  mountains  of  the  south  and  the  wilds  of 
the  Libyan  Desert.  More  than  a  thousand  years  passed 
away,  during  which  no  European  acquired  any  knowledge 
of  Nubia,  or  set  a  foot  within  its  borders  :  on  which  account 
we  can  only  conjecture  that  the  zeal  of  the  Moslem,  soon 
after  the  triumph  of  their  califs  over  Egypt,  might  induce 
them  to  carry  their  conquests  along  the  banks  of  the  Nile  ; 
or  that  the  Galla  and  those  other  barbarous  hordes,  who 
have  so  often  alarmed  the  emperor  at  Gondar,  may  have 
extinguished  the  lights  of  civilization  which  once  illumined 
the  remote  regions  of  Meroe. 

A  similar  obscurity  prevails  for  seven  or  eight  centuries 
in  regard  to  Abyssinia,  which  is  only  occasionally  bright- 
ened by  the  uncertain  information  afforded  by  the  ecclesi- 
astical writers,  who  laboured  to  connect  its  affairs  with  those 
of  the  patriarchate  of  Alexandria.  It  is  not  till  the  epoch 
when  the  Portuguese,  attracted  at  once  by  their  zeal  for  reli- 
gion and  their  love  of  gold,  penetrated  into  Eastern  Africa, 
that  our  inquiries  respecting  its  history  and  condition  begin 
to  be  rewarded  with  any  degree  of  success.  In  relating  the 
progress  of  discovery  made  by  this  people  along  the  western 
coast,  we  had  occasion  to  observe,*  that,  among  the  splendid 
objects  by  which  their  exertions  were  animated,  by  far  the 
most  prominent  was  that  of  reaching  the  territory  of  the 
prince  whom  they  denominated  Prester  John.f     Vain  were 

*  Narrative  of  Discovery  and  Adventure  in  Africa, 

t  "  Rex  Habessinorumvix  alio  quam  Presbyteri  Johannis  titulo  notus 
hucusque  fuit  Europaeis,  quem  illi  Lusitani  imposuere.  Occasio  fuit 
talis.  Petrus  Petri  filius  Lusitanias  princeps,  M.  Pauli  Veneti  librum 
(qui  de  Indorum  rebus  mulia),  speciatirh  vero  de  Presbytero  Johanne 
aliqua  magnifice  scripsit),  Veneiiis  secum  in  patriam  detulerat ;  qui 
(Chronologicis  Lusitanorum  testantibus),  praecipuam  Johanni  Regi 
ansam  dedit  Indicae  navigationis,  quam  Henricus  Johannis  I.  filius, 
patruus  ejus,  tentaverat,  prosequenda?. 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  95 

all  the  inquiries  made  on  that  shore  for  this  mysterious 
monarch  ;  but  intelligence  was  received  of  a  Christian  prince 
ruling  over  Abyssinia,  whom  at  length  they  thought  they 
might  conclude  to  be  the  royal  priest.  As  soon,  too,  as  the 
Portuguese  sovereign  had  conceived  the  idea  of  penetrating, 
by  a  voyage  round  the  Cape,  into  the  Indian  Seas,  a  know- 
ledge of  the  neighbouring  kingdoms  became  very  important. 
To  meet  this  double  object,  Covilham  and  De  Payva  were, 
in  1487,  despatched,  the  one  to  enter  Abyssinia,  the  other 
to  penetrate  to  the  shores  of  India.  The  former  died  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Red  Sea  ;  but  the  latter  was  fortunate  enough 
to  reach  Calicut  and  Goa  on  the  coast  of  Malabar  ;  whence 
he  crossed  to  Sofala  in  Eastern  Africa,  and  even  obtained 
some  information  respecting  the  southern  boundary  of  that 
continent.  Having  made  the  circuit  of  the  Indian  Ocean, 
he  was  enabled,  on  his  return  to  the  Arabian  Gulf,  to  trans- 
mit the  most  flattering  accounts  as  to  the  practicability  and 
advantage  of  the  projected  voyage.  Both  in  going  out  and 
returning,  he  collected  many  particulars  as  to  the  empire  of 
Abyssinia,  and  determined  to  crown  his  discoveries  by  visit- 
ing the  court  of  that  interesting  monarchy.  Iscander  or 
Alexander,  then  the  reigning  king,  received  him  in  the  most 
cordial  manner,  and  conducted  him  to  the  royal  residence 
at  Shoa.  Treated  with  the  highest  honours,  he  was  either 
persuaded  or  compelled  to  take  up  his  residence  in  the 
country,  whence  he  never  returned  to  Europe. 
..  About  1510,  Helena,  then  queen  of  Abyssinia,  anxious 
to  obtain  the  alliance  of  Portugal  against  the  Turks,  sent 
Matthew,  an  Armenian  merchant,  ambassador  to  Lisbon. 
He  went  by  the  circuitous  route  of  India,  where  his  dignity 
not  being  at  first  recognised,  he  was  somewhat  roughly 
treated,  and  detained  several  years.     When  at  last,  in  1513, 


"  Caeterum  inter  praestantissimos  historieorum  constat,  regem  quen- 
dam  Christianum  olim  in  extrema  Asia,  haud  procul  regno  Ttnduc, 
Catayam  versus,  regnasse,  magna  potentia  et  fama,  qui  a  Persis  vicini- 
oribus,  ad  significanda  illius  sacra,  Prester  Chan,  h.  e.  Chanus  seu 
Princeps  adoratorum,  i.  e.  Christianorum,  ut  quidam  putant ;  vel,  ut 
Scaliger  vult.  Fristegeani,  i.  e.  Apostohcus,  dictus  fuit.  Utcunque 
deinum  id  nominis  pronunciaveris,  ab  Iialis,  tunc  temporis  commercia 
Orientis  tractantibus,  auditum,  et  per  Europam  vulgatum,  imperitum 
vulgus  pro  Italico  Preste  vel  Prcte  Gianni  sive  Giovanni  accepit;  et  sic 
Presbyteri  Johannis  nomen  apud  omnes  Europae  populos  inolevit." — 
Ludolphi  Hist.  ^Ethiop.  lib.  ii.  c.  1. 


96  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

he  reached  Lisbon,  the  court  received  him  with  all  that 
delight  which  might  be  expected  on  seeing  realized  the  flat- 
tering vision  of  Prester  John,  which  had  so  long  glittered 
before  their  eyes.  After  the  most  favourable  reception,  he 
was  sent  back  with  a  fleet,  which,  in  1515,  proceeded  to 
India  under  Lope  Soarez,  who  was  appointed  to  succeed 
Albuquerque.  There  went  out  also  as  ambassador  to 
Prester  John,  Duarte  Galvam,  a  statesman  of  capacity  and 
experience,  but  already  arrived  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-six.  The  governor,  soon  after  his  arrival  in  India, 
sailed  for  the  Red  Sea  ;  but  the  other,  whose  years  indeed 
rendered  him  very  unfit  for  such  an  expedition,  sunk  under 
the  climate,  and  died  at  the  island  of  Camaran.  The  ships, 
meanwhile,  met  with  so  many  disasters,  that  they  never 
reached  the  port  of  Masuah.  Soarez  quitted  the  gulf,  and 
the  enterprise  was  not  resumed  till  he  was  succeeded  by  a 
more  able  commander,  named  Lope  Sequeira.  This  officer 
sailed  from  Goa  on  the  13th  February,  1520,  and  arrived  at 
Masuah  on  the  24th  April.  At  the  neighbouring  port  of 
Arkeekoo  he  had  an  interview  with  the  Baharnagash,  who, 
as  vassal  to  the  monarch  of  Abyssinia,  held  sway  over  a 
wide  extent  of  maritime  territory.  He  gave  the  Portuguese 
a  cordial  welcome,  and  undertook  to  convey  to  court  both 
Matthew  and  a  European  embassy.  At  the  head  of  this 
mission  Sequeira  placed  Rodrigo  de  Lima,  with  eight  or  ten 
subordinate  members,  among  whom  was  a  friar,  Francisco 
Alvarez,  who  afterward  wrote  a  narrative  of  the  expedition. 
The  embassy  left  Arkeeko  on  the  30th  April,  and  on  the 
4th  May  arrived  at  the  monastery  of  St.  Michael,  which 
was  dependent  on  a  more  extensive  establishment  called 
Bisan,  or  that  of  the  Vision.  Here  they  were  attacked  by 
an  epidemic  malady,  which  proved  fatal  to  the  merchant  and 
to  one  of  his  countrymen.  To  escape  its  malignant  influ- 
ence they  hastened  forward,  first  to  Bisan  and  then  to 
Dobarwa,  the  residence  of  the  Baharnagash,  to  wThich  he 
had  now  returned.  On  this  occasion  he  received  them  rather 
coldly,  and  not  without  reluctance  afforded  them  the  means 
of  proceeding.  The  passage,  too,  of  the  high  and  rugged 
mountains  of  Tigre  was  found  rather  formidable.  Violent 
storms  of  wind  and  rain  often  compelled  them  to  seek 
shelter  under  the  rocks  ;  while  the  fury  of  the  torrents  and 
the  roaring  of  the  gale  through  the  immense  woods  could 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  97 

not  be  heard  without  alarm.  Numerous  wild  animals  stalked 
around,  showing  no  fear  at  the  presence  of  man  ;  apes  were 
tometimes  seen  in  bands  of  several  hundreds.  On  de- 
scending into  the  plain,  they  found  it  desolated  by  the  more 
dreadful  scourge  of  locusts.  When  the  inhabitants  saw  the 
air  darkened  by  those  destructive  insects,  they  became,  it  is 
said,  "  as  dead  men,"  crying  out,  "  We  are  undone,  for  the 
locusts  come  !"  Great  numbers  of  both  sexes  were  ob- 
served flying  to  other  districts  in  search  of  food,  their  own 
lands  having  been  entirely  consumed  by  this  dreadful  visit- 
ation. 

Amid  these  difficulties  and  annoyances,  the  mission  slowly 
reached  the  southern  province  of  Angote,  which  they  found 
a  delightful  region,  watered  by  numerous  streams,  and  having 
seedtime  and  harvest  continued  throughout  the  year.  The 
viceroy  invited  them  to  a  feast,  where  they  found  neither 
chair,  tablecloth,  nor  towel.  Mats  were  spread  on  the  floor, 
and  a  wooden  board  was  covered  with  round  cakes  ;  over 
which  was  placed  the  delicate  dish,  which  Alvarez  scarcely 
dares  to  mention, — "  pieces  of  raw  flesh,  with  warm  blood," 
— which  the  governor  and  his  ladies  devoured  with  delight. 
But  the  Portuguese  could  not  allow  these  dainties  to  enter 
their  lips.  The  wine  also,  or  rather  hydromel,  "  walked 
about  with  great  fury  ;"  the  mistress  of  the  house,  though 
concealed  behind  a  curtain,  taking  an  ample  share. 

In  proceeding  to  the  court  or  camp  of  the  Abyssinian 
monarch,  Alvarez  saw  the  lofty  hill  on  which,  by  a  singular 
and  jealous  policy,  the  princes  of  the  blood-royal  are  con- 
stantly confined.  It  was  of  g-reat  extent,  begirt  by  a  circuit 
of  lofty  and  perpendicular  cliffs  appearing  to  reach  almost 
to  the  sky.  On  its  summit  was  a  large  plain,  whence  other 
hills  'arose  interspersed  with  valleys,  of  which  the  most 
beautiful  was  chosen  as  the  retreat  of  the  august  prisoners. 
The  strangers  having  approached  too  near  it,  were  advertised 
of  their  error  by  a  sudden  shower  of  stones. 

After  passing  through  theprovinces  of  Amhara  and  Shoa, 
the  embassy,  on  the  16th  October,  came  in  view  of  an  almost 
endless  range  of  tents  and  pavilions  overspreading  an  im- 
mense plain.  This  was  the  grand  array  or  regal  camp  of 
the  King  of  Abyssinia,  who,  engaged  in  continual  war,  had 
at  this  time  no  other  capital.  They  forthwith  advanced  be- 
tween two  rows  of  about  40,000  persons,  among  whom  a 


98  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

hundred  were  constantly  employed  with  whips  in  their  hands 
to  maintain  order.  On  this  occasion  they  saw  only  the 
cabeata,  or  chief  priest  and  minister,  who  conveyed  several 
courteous  messages  between  them  and  the  monarch,  whom, 
however,  they  neither  saw  nor  heard.  But  on  the  20th 
they  were  again  sent  for,  when  they  observed  an  elevated 
seat,  which  they  call  a  bed,  with  rich  curtains  of  silk  and 
gold  concealing  the  king  from  their  view,  but  not  preventing 
their  holding  some  conversation  with  him.  His  first  address 
was  not  altogether  cordial ;  he  even  showed  some  jealousy 
of  their  motives  in  coming  to  Abyssinia  ;  but  he  listened  to 
their  explanations,  and  at  length  showed  on  the  whole  a 
more  friendly  disposition. 

Finally,  on  the  1st  November,  they  were  admitted  to  a 
more  formal  audience,  when  a  series  of  curtains  were 
raised,  each  richer  than  the  other,  till  at  last  one,  the  richest 
of  all,  was  lifted,  behind  which  appeared  Prester  John  seated, 
in  a  splendid  dress  of  silk  and  gold,  and  holding  in  his  hand 
a  silver  cross.  This  prince,  who  was  David  III.,  is  described 
as  a  young  man  of  about  twenty-three,  of  low  stature,  and 
"  of  the  colour  of  ruddy  apples."  The  discourse  soon  turned 
upon  the  authority  of  the  pope  and  the  communion  of  Rome, 
which  the  ambassador  represented  to  be  the  only  true 
church,  and  to  which  Abyssinia  was  bound  to  submit.  The 
emperor  resisted  this  claim,  and  seems  to  have  maintained 
the  theological  argument  with  considerable  acuteness.  Re- 
specting the  marriage  of  priests,  he  quoted  the  decrees  of 
councils,  of  which  the  envoy  was  obliged  to  confess  his  own 
ignorance.  He  asked  also  whether,  supposing  the  pope 
were  to  order  any  thing  contrary  to  Scripture,  it  would  be 
obeyed ;  and  the  Portuguese  not  venturing  an  absolute 
negative,  the  king  declared  that  his  people  had  no  idea  of 
such  a  servile  submission. 

The  ambassador  afterward  accompanied  the  king,  with 
the  abuna  or  ecclesiastical  primate,  to  the  great  monastery 
of  Machan  Celacen,  where  he  witnessed  the  high  cere- 
monies of  baptism  and  the  ordination  of  priests  and  clerks  ; 
but  the  practical  details  connected  with  these  offices  afforded 
much  room  for  animadversion.  The  number  of  priests  or- 
dained was  2356  ;  and  the  examination — a  very  short  and 
superficial  one, — had  no  other  object  than  to  ascertain 
whether  they  were  able  to  read.     The  qualifications  of  the 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  99 

clerks  were  necessarily  still  lower,  as  they  were  admitted 
of  all  classes  and  ages,  a  great  proportion  being  mere  in- 
fants. Among  these  ecclesiastical  functionaries  there  was 
a  continued  crying,  "  as  of  so  many  young  kids,"  on  account 
of  being  kept  so  long  from  suck  ;  and  Alvarez  was  seriously 
alarmed  at  the  administration  of  the  host,  lest  these  tender 
throats  should  have  choked  on  the  coarse  dough  of  which 
it  was  formed.  He  assures  his  readers,  that  he  remonstrated 
strongly  with  the  abuna  on  this  premature  elevation  to  the 
dignities  of  the  church,  as  well  as  other  practices,  the  ir- 
regularity of  which  was  candidly  admitted  by  that  prelate. 

The  embassy,  after  remaining  five  years  in  Abyssinia, 
sailed  from  Masuah  on  the  28th  April,  1526,  with  presents 
and  a  letter  for  the  king  of  Portugal.  Thus  the  communi- 
cation between  the  two  courts  was  continued,  and  the 
reluctance  which  the  emperor  at  first  showed  to  embrace 
the  Catholic  religion  was  overcome  in  a  surprising  degree. 
In  1535,  the  place  of  abuna,  or  head  of  the  church,  was 
conferred  upon  Bermudez,  a  Romish  priest  then  resident  in 
the  country.  This  nomination  was  accompanied  with  a 
request  which  throws  some  light  upon  its  motive.  The 
country  being  hard  pressed  by  the  Moors  of  Adel,  the  gov- 
ernment of  Lisbon  was  urged  to  send  a  body  of  troops  to 
defend  it  against  those  enemies  of  the  faith.  Bermudez 
himself  repaired  to  Goa  to  hasten  the  sailing  of  the  desired 
expedition.  The  ardour  of  the  Portuguese  youth  for  this 
species  of  crusade  drew  forth  a  much  greater  number  of 
volunteers  than  were  desired  by  the  viceroy,  who  despatched 
only  450  under  Don  Stephen  de  Gama  ;  and  though  that 
officer  fell  early,  his  followers,  by  their  superior  arms  and 
discipline,  rendered  essential  services.  The  Moors  were 
defeated,  and  obliged  to  sue  for  peace  ;  after  which  the 
Catholic  zeal  of  the  monarch  remarkably  cooled,  to  the  in- 
finite rage  of  the  abuna,  who  made  remonstrances  so  vio- 
lent, that  open  hostilities  ensued  between  the  two  nations. 
The  Portuguese,  notwithstanding  their  small  numbers, 
were  able  to  maintain  a  defensive  position,  till  at  length 
the  king,  by  a  stratagem,  got  the  chief  priest  into  his  power, 
and  sent  him  into  an  honourable  exile,  as  governor  of  Efat, 
an  extensive  province.  It  is  described  by  him  as  consisting 
of  a  valley  so  deep,  and  enclosed  by  such  high  and  craggy 
mountains,  that  the  entrance  appeared  to  resemble  the  descent 


100  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

into  hell.  After  taking  possession,  however,  he  found  it  an 
agreeable  and  fertile  district ;  the  inhabitants  even  made 
cotton  cloths,  and  practised  other  arts,  better  than  the  rest 
of  the  Abyssinians  ;  yet  they  were  pagans,  "  barbarous  and 
evil."  It  contained  gold,  which  abounded  still  more  in  the 
neighbouring  countries  ;  one  of  which  paid  in  tribute  two 
full-grown  lions,  three  whelps,  and  several  hens  and  chick- 
ens, all  framed  of  this  precious  metal.  Bermudez  seems 
to  have  exercised  his  sway  in  a  very  tyrannical  manner. 
He  and  his  people  amused  themselves  by  firing  muskets 
over  the  heads  of  the  natives,  enjoying  their  terror  at  the 
effect  of  these  unknown  weapons  ;  and  this,  on  some  occa- 
sions, was  done  so  recklessly,  that  several  persons  were 
killed.  The  king,  incensed  at  these  pastimes  of  the  gover- 
nor, confined  him  on  the  top  of  a  high  mountain  ;  but,  being 
rescued  by  the  valour  of  his  countrymen,  a  compromise  was 
at  length  effected,  in  virtue  of  which  he  received  lands, 
ample  possessions,  and  a  new  title  ;  however,  he  soon  after- 
ward left  the  country.     . 

The  king  of  Portugal  and  the  pope  were  for  some  time 
discouraged  by  the  unfavourable  result  of  this  mission.  But 
a  convert  who  came  to  Rome  assured  them,  that  the  failure 
was  entirely  owing  to  the  brutal  conduct  of  Bermudez,  and 
that  a  judicious  agent  might  yet  add  Abyssinia  to  the  domain 
of  the  Catholic  church.  Nugnez  Barretto  was  accordingly 
invested  with  this  office;  but  when,  upon  reaching  the  Red 
Sea,  he  learned  that  it  was  infested  by  Turkish  ships,  his 
courage  failed.  Oviedo,  however,  the  second  in  rank,  with 
some  priests  of  an  inferior  order,  boldly  pushed  forward, 
and  arrived  in  safety.  On  reaching  the  royal  camp,  he  was 
received  in  the  most  friendly  manner,  and  immediately  ad- 
mitted to  an  audience.  But  instead  of  tempering  his  zeal 
with  any  measure  of  discretion,  he  seems  to  have  studiously 
overacted  the  part  of  Bermudez.  Representing  to  the  king 
the  enormous  errors  into  which  he  had  fallen,  the  mission- 
ary called  upon  him  immediately  to  bring  his  subjects  into 
a  state  of  spiritual  allegiance  to  the.  Roman  see.  His 
majesty  replied,  that  he  was  exceedingly  well  inclined  to 
the  Portuguese,  and  would  grant  them  ample  possessions, 
with  liberty  to  convert  the  whole  nation  if  they  could  ;  but 
that  to  compel  the  people  to  change  their  religion  would 
create  great  discontent,  particularly  as  they  were  at  present 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  101 

quite  satisfied  with  their  abuna.  He  promised,  however,  to 
consult  his  friends  on  the  subject.  Oviedo,  though  most 
Indignant  that  a  third  party  should  be  addressed  on  such  an 
occasion,  agreed  to  pause,  and  meantime  challenged  the 
Abyssinian  doctors  to  a  conference.  This  was  readily  ac- 
cepted. Being  supernaturally  aided,  as  he  conceived,  he 
gained  the  most  complete  victory  over  his  opponents  ;  but 
unhappily  they  considered  their  own  triumph  as  equally  deci- 
sive, and  hence  affairs  stood  exactly  as  they  were  before. 
The  Catholic,  indignant  at  such  blindness,  and  seeing  no 
hope  of  effecting  any  thing  by  persuasion,  determined  to  have 
recourse  to  the  most  violent  measures.  Assuming  the  full 
papal  authority,  he  issued  a  rescript,  devoting  the  whole  na- 
tion to  the  judgment  of  the  church,  and  even  to  be  spoiled  by 
the  faithful  in  every  possible  manner,  "  in  person  and  goods, 
in  public  and  private."  Such  a  decree,  without  any  means  of 
enforcing  it,  occasioned,  of  course,  a  violent  persecution 
against  the  mission.  Oviedo  was  banished  to  a  remote  and 
desolate  mountain,  where  he  nearly  perished  with  famine. 
He  transmitted  the  most  earnest  entreaties  to  the  king  of 
Portugal  to  despatch  fifteen  hundred  men,  with  which  he 
undertook  to  conquer  all  Abyssinia  ;  but  this  proposal, 
though  seriously  pondered,  was  never  reduced  to  practice. 
The  next  missionary  was  Peter  Paez,  sent  out  in  1589, 
— a  man  of  superior  talents  and  address,  who,  instead  of 
attempting  to  carry  his  objects  by  threats  and  violence, 
successfully  applied  himself  to  conciliate  at  once  the  sov- 
ereign and  the  nation.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  his  narra- 
tive, which  is  supposed  still  to  exist,  and  would  probably 
supply  the  fullest  account  of  the  country  yet  written,  has 
never  been  given  to  the  public  ;  only  some  detached  ex- 
tracts from  it  being  found  in  the  General  History  of  Ethio- 
pia, by  Tellez.  He  derides  the  pompous  descriptions  which 
former  travellers  had  given  of  this  empire,  the  palace  of 
whi.h,  instead  of  containing,  as  had  been  pretended,  spa- 
cious halls  and  superb  domes,  resembled  more  the  humble 
cottao-e  in  which  JEneas  was  received  by  Evander.  The 
imperial  table  presented  none  of  those  conveniences  which 
in  Europe  are  by  the  humblest  citizen  considered  indispen- 
sable ;  neither  plate,  nor  knife,  nor  fork,  nor  spoon,  nor 
chair  to  sit  upon.  Women  entered  bearing  baskets  of 
junk,  resembling  broad-brimmed  hats,  whence  they  drew 
12 


102  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

numerous  cakes,  with  which  they  entirely  covered  the  board 
Above  these  they  placed  the  chief  delicacy,  pieces  of  raw 
and  warm  flesh,  which  were  wrapped  in  the  cakes,  in  por- 
tions so  enormous  that  it  appeared  quite  impossible  for  any 
mouth  to  admit  them.  The  attendants,  however,  forced 
these  pellets  between  the  jaws  of  their  masters,  and  con- 
tinued to  stuff  the  guests,  one  after  another,  "  as  if  they 
were  stuffing  a  goose  for  a  feast."  All  this  while  deep 
silence  reigned,  and  eating  engrossed  the  universal  atten- 
tion ;  but  as  soon  as  the  table  was  cleared,  the  cups  were 
introduced,  and  began  to  circulate  with  the  utmost  freedom. 

As  there  was  nothing  in  Abyssinia  which  could  be  called 
a  house,  Paez  undertook  to  erect  one  for  the  monarch,  such 
as  in  Europe  might  be  considered  a  handsome  villa.  It 
was  exceedingly  difficult  to  instruct  the  native  architects  in 
the  use  of  the  hammer  and  chisel,  in  the  operation  of  cut- 
ting, rounding,  and  hewing  the  stones,  as  well  as  in  the 
various  processes  of  carpentry ;  but  when  this  had  been  in 
some  degree  effected,  and  the  people  saw  high  walls  of  hewn 
stone  ascending,  and  one  story  rising  above  another,  they 
considered  it  little  less  than  a  miracle.  By  these  and  other 
personal  services,  the  priest  so  ingratiated  himself  at  court, 
that  he  prevailed  upon  the  king,  not  only  to  embrace  the 
Catholic  faith  himself,  but  to  make  it  the  established  religion 
of  his  dominions.  This  missionary,  moreover,  is  generally 
supposed  to  have  visited  the  sources  of  the  Nile ;  his  de- 
scription of  them,  indeed,  quoted  by  Kircher,  closely  corres- 
ponds with  that  afterward  given  by  Bruce. 

The  Romish  religion  continued  to  maintain  its  ground, 
and  about  the  year  1620  was  professed  with  ardour  by  the 
king,  Socinios  or  Segued,  who  applied  for  a  fresh  supply  of 
clergymen.  In  compliance  with  this  request,  Jerome  Lobo 
set  sail  from  GOa  in  January,  1624.  The  approach  to  Abys- 
sinia was  then  very  difficult,  as  the  Turks  were  masters  of 
the  Red  Sea  ;  and  an  attempt  to  reach  it  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Arabian  Gulf,  by  the  southern  country  of  Cambat, 
had  been  frustrated  by  the  ruggedness  of  the  territory  and 
the  barbarous  character  of  the  people.  Lobo,  much  at  a 
loss,  sought  to  open  up  a  new  path  by  Melinda,  which, 
however,  could  only  have  been  suggested  by  deep  ignorance 
of  African  geography.  On  landing  at  Pate,  or  Patta,  he 
was  warned  of  the  dangers    attending  this   route,  which 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  103 

would  soon  bring  him  among  the  Galla,  one  of  the  most 
savage  races  in  existence.  His  zeal  however  still  urged 
him  onwards,  till  he  reached  the  kingdom  of  Jubo,  the  natives 
of  which  were  barbarians  indeed  ;  eating  raw  flesh,  adornincr 
themselves  with  the  entrails  of  cows,  and  killing  such  of 
their  children  as  happened  to  be  born  on  plundering  ex- 
cursions. He  found  the  king  in  a  tolerably  large  straw-hut, 
surrounded  by  courtiers,  bearing  each  a  long  staff,  which, 
whenever  the  stranger  entered,  they  employed  in  driving  him 
back  to  the  door.  Lobo,  who  had  attended  by  permission/ 
having  inquired  the  cause  of  such  an  ungracious  salutation, 
was  assured  that  it  was  the  regular  mode  of  reception  at 
this  court  ;  and  they  swore  on  the  head  of  a  sheep,  be- 
smeared with  butter,  that  they  would  do  him  no  injury.  It 
was  rather  annoying  to  be  attended  by  men  whose  kindness 
was  thus  expressed  ;  and  when  the  traveller  heard  that  nine 
nations,  equally  savage,  and  engaged  in  continual  war, 
intervened  between  Jubo  and  Abyssinia,  he  thought  it  high 
time  to  seek  an  entrance  by  another  channel.  He  therefore 
returned  to  Patta,  whence  he  sailed,  and,  having  passed  the 
Straits  of  Bab  el  Mandeb,  landed  at  Baylur  in  Dancali  ;  the 
sovereign  of  which  country,  being  dependent  on  Abyssinia, 
had  been  instructed  to  provide  for  his  safety  and  comfort. 
Having  waited  on  the  monarch,  at  his  capital,  which  con- 
sisted of  twenty  mud-cabins  and  six  tents,  he  was  ushered 
into  the  palace,  where  one  apartment  sufficed  for  the  prince 
and  his  horse.  The  good  priest  had  no  reason  to  complain 
of  his  reception,  though  extraordinary  efforts  were  made  to 
extort  presents  from  him  ;  but  by  using  the  name  of  the 
King  of  Abyssinia,  he  escaped  all  violent  exaction.  To 
reach  his  destination,  however,  it  was  necessary  to  pass  ex- 
tensive deserts,  including  the  great  plain  whence  salt  is 
supplied  to  the  whole  empire  ;  and  here  hunger,  thirst,  the 
bites  of  serpents,  and  the  attacks  of  plunderers,  created 
much  suffering  and  alarm.  At  length  he  arrived  at  Fremona, 
the  missionary  head-quarters,  and  began  to  enter  upon  his 
functions  ;  but  he  soon  found  that,  though  supported  by 
royal  authority,  his  doctrine  was  viewed  by  the  great  body 
of  the  people  with  the  utmost  aversion.  On  entering  a 
village,  he'was  surprised  to  hear  all  the  inhabitants  joining 
in  one  chorus  of  shrieks  and  lamentations  ;  and  on  in- 


104  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

quiring  what  dreadful  calamity  had  befallen  them,  was 
informed  that  it  was  nothing  but  his  own  arrival,  and  that 
they  were  deploring  the  fate  of  such  of  their  countrymen 
as  they  feared  would  be  entrapped  by  his  fatal  tenets. 
Wherever  he  went  he  found  a  similar  impression  prevail ; 
and  on  attempting  to  address  them,  and  especially  on  pre- 
senting the  Host,  which  they  believed  to  be  strained  from  the 
juices  of  the  animals  held  most  odious  in  Abyssinia,  they 
uniformly  fled  at  full  speed.  It  had  also  been  imagined  that 
the  landing  of  missionaries  coincided  with  the  appearance 
of  locusts  ;  and  iti  this  instance  that  absurd  prejudice  was 
unfortunately  strengthened.  Lobo  had  the  pain  of  wit- 
nessing the  distress  occasioned  by  that  plague,  and  saw  the 
monastery  besieged  by  crowds  of  starving  creatures,  who 
unjustly  imputed  to  him  their  miseries. 

He  afterward  visited  the  southern  province  of  Damot, 
which,  as  we  have  already  stated,  appeared  in  his  eyes  the 
most  delightful  country  he  ever  beheld,  shaded  with  noble 
trees,  having  seed-time  and  harvest  at  all  seasons.  He 
describes  also  the  sources  of  the  Nile,  as  if  he  had  visited 
them  ;  but  whether  he  actually  did  so,  or  merely  wrote  from 
information  communicated  by  others,  has  never  been  clearly 
ascertained. 

For  some  years  the  Catholics,  generally  odious  to  the 
nation,  were  supported  and  protected  by  the  ruling  power. 
The  king,  however,  having  sunk  into  a  state  of  dotage,  the 
administration  fell  into  the  hands  of  his  son,  who  himself 
had  long  entertained  a  secret  antipathy  to  this  body,  and 
under  whose  sanction  the  great  men  found  themselves  at 
liberty  to  give  vent  to  their  long-cherished  animosity.  They 
proceeded  to  the  most  violent  extremities  ;  and  the  mission- 
aries learned  that  a  plan  was  actually  matured  for  delivering 
them  all  into  the  hands  of  the  Turks.  In  their  distress  they 
sought  refuge  with  a  chief  in  Tigre,  who  had  raised  the 
standard  of  rebellion  ;  but  by  this  step  they  exposed  them- 
selves to  the  very  calamity  which  they  had  hoped  to  escape. 
He  sold  them  to  the  Pasha  of  Suakin,  a  furious  Mussulman, 
who  had  repeatedly  expressed  the  delight  with  which  he 
would  kill  every  one  of  them  with  his  own  hand.  From 
this  dreadful  situation,  however,  they  were  rescued  by  a  high 
ransom,  and  conveyed  to  Goa.     The  persecution  continued 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  105 

till  1638,  when  all  the  monks  remaining  in  the  country  were 
barbarously  put  to  death,  and  the  Roman  religion  finally 
rooted  out  of  Abyssinia. 

About  twenty  years  after,  Signor  Baratti,  an  Italian  gen- 
tleman, made  his  way  into  that  country,  where  he  found  the 
enmity  against  the  Catholic  church  still  unabated.  The 
native  clergy  had  even  drawn  up  a  special  creed  to  guard 
against  its  errors.  They  declared  that  the  Virgin,  the 
apostles,  and  martyrs  ought  indeed  to  be  reverenced,  but 
not  to  be  worshipped,  or  to  have  prayers  addressed  to  them  ; 
that  the  Bishop  of  Rome  has  no  authority  over  the  church 
in  general  ;  that  the  cross  is  a  mere  badge  of  the  Christian 
profession,  having  no  virtue  in  itself;  and  that  the  marriage 
of  priests  to  one  wife  is  lawful.  It  would  thus  appear  that 
they  were  much  more  rational  in  their  doctrines  than  those 
who  had  made  such  efforts  for  their  conversion. 

In  1698  Poncet,  whose  name  we  have  already  mentioned, 
and  who  had  practised  as  a  physician  at  Cairo,  received  an 
invitation  from  the  King  of  Abyssinia,  who  stood  in  need 
of  his  medical  skill.  He  followed  a  different  route  from 
any  former  traveller,  taking  his  departure  from  Upper  Egypt 
with  the  Sennaar  caravan.  During  four  days  they  passed 
through  a  desert  of  moving  sand,  where  the  gentlest  breeze 
raised  a  cloud  that  darkened  the  air.  They  then  reached 
the  great  oasis  of  Elwah,  which  they  found  a  delightful  spot, 
filled  with  palm-trees  and  gardens,  and  the  fields  covered 
with  senna.  They  next  proceeded  across  a  branch  of  the 
Great  African  Desert,  and  he  was  the  first  who  gave  to 
Europeans  an  idea  of  its  excessive  dreariness.  He  describes 
it  as  destitute  of  every  species  of  shrub  or  plant,  and  pre- 
senting only  the  dead  bodies  and  scattered  bones  of  men  and 
camels.  Even  when  he  reached  the  Nile  at  Moscho,  culti- 
vation, which  extended  only  a  league  in  breath,  was  sustained 
by  artificial  means,  water  being  raised  from  the  river  in 
machines  worked  by  oxen.  Dongola  appeared  a  poorly-built 
town,  almost  choked  by  the  sand  which  blew  in  from  the 
surrounding  wastes.  From  Korti  he  crossed  the  desert  of 
Bahiouda,  les-  desolate  than  the  former.;  whence  passing 
by  Derri  and  Gerri,  he  arrived  at  Sennaar.  Having  spent 
three  months  in  that  city,  as  we  have  elsewhere  observed,  he 
proceeded  on  his  journey  eastward,  crossing  several  ranges 
of  mountains,  amid  vast  forests  of  trees  unknown  in  Europe. 


106  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

Abyssinia  now  possessed  a  capital  called  Gondar,  instead  of 
the  moveable  camp  in  which  the  kings  formerly  travelled  from 
place  to  place.  It  was  an  extensive  town,  with  1 00  churches, 
yet  consisting  in  fact  of  a  vast  cluster  of  cottages  ;  and 
there  being  no  shops,  the  goods  were  exposed  in  mats  in  a 
large  open  space.  Poncet,  having  succeeded  in  curing  the 
emperor,  was  sent  home  by  way  of  Tigre  and  Masuah, 
without  meeting  any  of  those  perils  which  are  usually 
encountered  by  unprotected  adventurers. 

A  long  period  now  elapsed,  during  which  Abyssinia  was 
almost  forgotten,  when  it  was  brought  again  into  notice,  and 
more  fully  described  than  ever,  by  one  of  the  most  enter- 
prising of  modern  travellers.  This  was  James  Bruce,  a 
writer  who  has  been  much  accused  of  exaggeration  and  even 
of  inaccuracy  in  his  statements  ;  yet  it  seems  now  generally 
admitted  that,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  incidents  some- 
what highly  coloured,  his  narrative  is  substantially  correct. 

Fortified  with  a  firman  from  the  Porte,  and  with  a  letter 
from  the  SherifTe  of  Mecca,  he  landed  on  the  19th  Sep- 
tember, 17G9,  at  Masuah,  where,  notwithstanding  all  these 
securities,  he  narrowly  escaped  being  robbed  and  murdered 
by  the  Naib  of  Arkeeko,  a  brutal  and  unprincipled  chief. 
He  sailed  to  Arkeeko,  which  he  left  on  the  15th  November, 
and  proceeded  over  Taranta,  a  high  mountain-range  which 
separates  the  coast  from  the  interior.  This  eminence  was 
covered  to  the  top  with  noble  trees,  often  so  close  together 
as  to  resemble  arbours  ;  the  chief  species  being  the  cedar 
and  the  kol-quall,  the  latter  peculiar  to  that  country.  There 
were  many  beautiful  birds  without  song,  while  others,  des- 
titute of  beauty,  had  pleasing  notes,  but  quite  different  from 
those  of  England.  In  the  caves  of  these  mountains,  or  in 
little  conical  wooden  cabins,  dwell  the  Hazorta  and  the  Shiho, 
pastoral  tribes,  who  possess  numerous  herds,  especially  of 
goats,  which,  according  to  the  season,  they  drive  to  the  top 
of  the  mountains  or  to  the  lower  valleys.  They  hold  at 
defiance  the  powers  of  the  plain,  but  have  themselves  so 
little  reputation  for  hospitality  that  their  treatment  of  trav- 
ellers gave  rise  to  the  Abyssinian  proverb,  "  Beware  of  the 
men  who  drink  two  waters." 

At  the  foot  of  Taranta,  Bruce  passed  through  Dixan, 
lately  belonging  to  the  Baharnagash,  or  Lord  of  the  Sea, 
who,  we  have  already  observed,  had  been  one  of  the  most 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  107 

powerful  princes  in  this  part  of  Africa.  His  territory  was 
now  very  much  narrowed,  and  he  was  reduced  to  a  complete 
dependence  upon  the  governor  of  Tigre.  Bruce  found  him 
in  a  village  near  Dixan,  a  good-humoured  simple  person, 
with  a  very  beggarly  train.  A  general  poverty  indeed  per- 
vaded this  district,  which  the  inhabitants  sought  to  relieve 
Dy  stealing. 

The  traveller  came  next  to  Adowa,  which  ranked  as 
capital  of  Tigre,  though  it  is  only  a  large  village.  Near  it 
was  Fremona,  the  great  convent  at  which  the  Portuguese 
missionaries  had  fixed  their  head-quarters.  After  passing 
through  the  province  of  Sire,  a  wide  and  fertile  plain, 
bounded  by  the  broad  and  luxuriantly-wooded  course  of  the 
Tacazze,  Mr.  Bruce  entered  Sarnen,  a  country  containing 
the  loftiest  mountains  in  Abyssinia,  which  the  companions 
of  Alvarez  represented  as  even  far  surpassing  in  height  the 
Alps  and  the  Pyrenees.  He  and  Salt,  however,  have  ascer- 
tained them  to  be  much  inferior,  though  the  occasional  ap- 
pearance of  snow  on  their  summits  indicates  in  this  climate 
a  very  high  elevation.  Their  forms  are  often  peculiarly 
rugged  and  precipitous,  being  compared  by  Bruce,  though 
with  some  exaggeration,  to  pyramids  pitched  on  their  apex. 
He  was  obliged  to  pass  Lamalmon,  a  lofty  ridge,  which  lay 
on  his  way  to  Gondar.  He  had  a  difficult  and  rather  dan- 
gerous clamber  along  a  narrow  rugged  path  on  the  edge  of 
a  precipice,  but  found  on  the  top  a  broad  plain  well  culti- 
vated, where  the  cool  air  restored-  his  vigour,  which  had 
suffered  under  the  suffocating  atmosphere  of  the  lower 
valleys.  He  then  descended,  and  at  length  descried,  in  the 
midst  of  a  thick  grove,  Gondar,  the  capital  of  Abyssinia. 

The  most  dreadful  commotions  agitated  at  that  moment 
the  interior  of  the  country.  He  relates  that  Ras  Michael, 
the  governor  of  Tigre,  had  murdered  Joas,  the  king,  and 
set  up  in  his  room  Tecla  Haimanout,  a  youth  of  fifteen,  in 
whose  name  he  exercised  the  real  sovereignty.  Michael  had 
married  Ozoro  Esther,  daughter  to  the  queen-dowager,  whose 
beauty  and  rank  made  her  the  most  distinguished  female  in 
Abyssinia.  Another  political  interest  distracted  the  king- 
dom. On  its  southern  border  were  numerous  tribes  of  the 
Galla,  a  race  regarded  even  by  the  Abyssinians,  who  them- 
selves have  to  "boast  of  so  little  refinement,  as  uncouth, 
savage,  and  horrible.     They  have  numerous  cattle,  which 


108  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

supply  them  with  food,  and  whose  entrails,  worn  round  the 
waist  or  plaited  in  the  hair,  though  often  in  a  putrid  state, 
are  used  as  the  favourite  ornaments  of  their  persons.  They 
were  wont  in  former  times  to  ride  upon  cows  ;  hut  recently 
they  have  obtained  a  breed  of  small  active  horses,  and  the 
irregular  cavalry  thus  mounted  constitutes  their  chief  mili- 
tary force.  They  can  endure  severe  privations,  perform  the 
most  rapid  marches,  and  cross  broad  rivers  holding  by  the 
horses'  tails.  In  battle  they  make  a  sudden  and  rapid  onset 
with  shrill  and  barbarous  howls,  which  few  troops  can  with- 
stand. By  their  numbers  and  ferocity  they  had  overrun 
many  of  the  finest  provinces  of  Abyssinia,  and  had  even 
formed  an  alliance  with  the  royal  family,  which,  however, 
was  held  in  horror  by  the  people  in  general.  Their  chiefs, 
Gusho,  Povvussen,  and  Fasil,  temporized  with  Ras  Michael, 
in  the  hope  of  speedily  destroying  him. 

Mr.  Bruce  found  himself  for  some  time  an  object  of  con- 
siderable neglect.  The  violent  passions  which  agitated  the 
contending  parties  left  little  room  for  curiosity  ;  and  his 
character  of  Frank,  combined  in  their  eyes  with  that  of 
Catholic,  excited  a  mingled  feeling  of  aversion  and  contempt. 
He  was  first  drawn  into  notice  by  his  medical  skill.  Ay  to 
Confu,  son  to  Ozoro  Esther,  had  been  seized  with  the  small- 
pox, and  as  he  was  treated  in  the  usual  manner  of  the 
country,  by  being  wrapped  in  enormous  loads  of  clothes,  and 
having  the  external  air  wholly  excluded,  the  disease  seemed 
approaching  to  a  fatal  termination.  A  great  Abyssinian 
saint,  who  had  not  eaten  or  drunk  for  twenty  years,  having 
failed  in  his  attempts  to  cure  the  prince,  the  stranger  was 
called  in  as  a  last  resource,  and  by  improved  treatment  soon 
produced  a  most  favourable  change.  His  attentions  on  this 
occasion,  with  the  general  attractions  of  his  person  and 
manner,  rendered  him  a  decided  favourite  with  the  princess, 
through  whom  he  was  introduced  to  the  first  circles  at  the 
imperial  court. 

One  principal  cause  of  the  importance  attached  to  the 
travels  of  Bruce  is  the  acquisition  of  many  valuable  manu- 
scripts made  by  him  while  resident  in  Abyssinia.  His  work 
contains  a  history  of  that  country,  translated  chiefly  from 
records  supplied  to  him  in  the  native  language  ;  and  though 
there  may  be  some  slight  discrepancy,  as  to  dates  and  the 
order  of  events,  the  narrative  is  amply  confirmed  by  all  the 


Ozoro  Esther. 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  Ill 

information  which  it  has  been  possible  to  procure  from  other 
sources.  The  Chronicle  of  Axura,  already  mentioned, 
proved  the  depository  of  a  great  variety  of  facts  in  regard 
to  the  regal  successions  ;  its  object  being  "  to  show  forth  the 
glory  of  Rome  and  Ethiopia,"  two  nations  which  were 
imagined  to  divide  between  them  the  sovereignty  of  the 
world,  in  direct  inheritance  from  Adam.  Of  this  treatise 
Mr.  Bruce  brought  two  copies  from  Gondar;  the  one 
written  in  an  older  hand,  divided  into  chapters,  containing 
an  appendix  on  Abyssinian  history  and  customs  ;  the  other 
beautifully  but  more  incorrectly  written,  without  sections, 
and  supposed  to  have  been  a  transcript  made  for  him  while 
living  in  that  city.  He  arranged  the  several  manuscripts  on 
the  modern  annals  of  Abyssinia  into  five  volumes,  the  first 
of  which  is  the  newest  copy  of  the  Book  of  Axum.  The 
second  volume,  however,  is  esteemed  far  more  authentic.  It 
is,  says  Dr.  Murray,  written  in  a  very  neat  but  small  hand 
on  thin  parchment,  and  appears  to  be  about  a  hundred  years 
old.  It  contains  ninety-three  leaves,  of  which  eleven  are  on 
the  Adeline  war  of  Amda  Sion,  seven  on  the  history  of  Zera 
Jacob,  eight  on  that  of  Beda  Mariam,  interspersed  with 
some  chapters  relating  to  his  father.* 

In  this  volume,  we  are  assured,  there  are  many  curious 
particulars  relating  to  the  monarchy,  both  in  its  prosperous 
and  declining  state  ;  though  the  monkish  annalists  often 
give  abundance  of  minute  facts  without  assigning  any 
cause.  Many  pages  are  filled  with  wild  declamatory 
speeches  full  of  Scripture  quotations ;  in  which  the  reader, 
expecting  to  find  historical  notices,  is  miserably  disappointed. 
But  there  are  not  wanting  passages  replete  with  natural 
feeling,  bold  enough  to  surprise,  and  sufficiently  tender  to 
melt  the  heart.  The  construction  of  an  oriental  language, 
it  is  true,  gives  a  somewhat  turgid  air  to  these  performances  ; 
which,  however,  with  all  their  defects,  are  fully  entitled  to  a 
place  among  the  chronicles  of  cur  own  Gothic  ages.f 

The  third  volume  of  the  collection  begins  with  the  history 
of  Susneus,  in  seventy-five- leaves  and  ninety-nine  chapters. 
It  is  the  best  written  of  the  whole,  and  being  at  the  same 
time  minute,  accurate,  and  interesting,  supplied  Mr.  Bruce 
with  nearly  all  the  incidents  mentioned  in  that  reign.     The 

*  Brace's  Travels,  vol.  iii.  p.  409.  t  Ibid. 


112  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

character  is  small  and  neat ;  great  attention  has  been  be- 
stowed in  correcting  the  errors  of  the  transcriber,  and  in 
removing  statements  of  facts  which  were  either  doubtful  or 
offensive.  The  Roman  faith  is  reprobated  wherever  it  ia 
mentioned  ;  but  the  edifices  with  which  the  Franks  orna- 
mented the  kingdom  are  described  with  much  admiration, 
though  with  little  art.  It  contains  an  epitome  of  the  history 
of  Facilidas,  together  with  some  diffuse  observations  on  the 
reign  of  Hannes  the  First. 

The  fourth  volume  is  occupied  with  the  annals  of  Yasous 
Tallak,  of  Tecla  Haimanout  the  First,  of  Tiflis,  and  of 
David  the  Fourth.  The  fifth  presents  an  account  of  the 
government  under  Bacuffa,  his  son  Yasous  the  Second,  and 
Joas  his  grandson,  who  was  murdered  in  the  year  Mr.  Bruce 
entered  Abyssinia.  The  history  of  Ras  Michael  forms  an 
interesting  episode  in  the  latter  portion  of  the  narrative,  and 
fully  authenticates  the  character  given  of  him  by  that  cele- 
brated traveller.* 

*  Bruce,  vol.  iii.  p.  413.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Ethiopic  MSS. 
brought  from  Gondar  by  Mr.  Bruce  :— 

I.  The  Old  Testament,  in  five  large  quarto  volumes,  each  about  a  foot 
in  length  and  breadth.  These  contain  all  the  books  in  our  canon,  except 
the  Psalms  and  several  of  the  Apocrypha. 

II.  Two  copies  of  the  Gospels,  in  four  volumes,  two  of  which  are  in 
small  quarto,  answering  in  size  to  the  two  volumes  which  contain  the 
writings  of  the  apostles  and  the  rest  of  the  New  Testament,  mentioned 
in  No.  IV. 

III.  The  Synodos,  or  Constitution  of  the  Apostles,  beautifully  written, 
and  containing  about  300  folia.  An  analysis  of  this  large  volume  is  given 
by  Ludolf  in  his  Commentarius  ad  Historiam  Abyssinia?.  It  forms  what 
is  called  a  kanoun,  or  positive  law  of  the  church,  beyond  the  letter  of 
which  the  clergy  have  no  judicial  powers. 

IV.  The  Acts  of  the  Apostles  and  all  the  Epistles  in  our  canon,  with 
the  Revelation  of  St.  John,  in  two  small  quarto  volumes,  uniform  with 
the  Gospels  before  mentioned. 

V.  A  Chronicle  of  the  Kings  of  Abyssinia,  from  Arwe  to  Bacuffa,  with 
a  very  curious  preface  on  the  law  and  customs  brought  from  Jerusalem 
by  Ibn  Hakim,  the  son  of  Solomon.  From  this  preface  is  extracted  the 
information  respecting  the  great  officers  of  the  Negus,  given  in  the  intro- 
duction to  the  history  of  Abyssinia.  As  the  MS.  contains  a  perpetual 
chronicle  of  all  the  princes,  from  Icon  Amlac  to  Bacuffa  inclusively,  it 
has  been  of  great  use  in  preserving  entire  the  chain  of  history,  which  is 
broken  in  the  larger  annals.  It  consists  of  about  120  folia  of  the  quarto 
size. 

VI.  The  Kebir  Zaneguste,  or  Glory  of  the  Kings,  the  celebrated  Book 
of  Axum,  described  at  length  in  the  text. 

VII.  The  Annals  of  Abyssinia  in  five  volumes  quarto;  the  principal 
source  of  the  history  given  in  the  third  volume  of  Bruce's  work.  Of 
these  we  have  already  specified  the  contents. 


KUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  113 

The  annals  of  Abyssinia  may  be  divided  into  three  great 
portions.  The  first  comprehends  the  period  which  elapsed 
before  the  interruption  of  the  ancient  royal  race  by  the  suc- 
cessful rebellion  of  Judith,  or  Goudit  as  she  is  sometimes 
called ;  the  second  embraces  the  interval  during  which  the 
usurping  dynasty  exercised  the  supreme  power  ;  and  the 
last  extends  from  the  restoration  of  the  line  of  Solomon  in 
the  person  of  Icon  Amlac  down  to  the  present  day. 

In  regard  to  the  most  ancient  division,  the  light  of  history 
does  not  direct  our  researches  much  further  than  to  ascertain 
the  names  and  order  of  the  several  monarchs  who  mounted 
the  throne.  We  have  already  given  the  list  from  Menilec 
to  Bazen,  who  swayed  the  sceptre  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Christian  era.  From  him  to  Dalnaad,  under  whom  the 
government  was  overthrown,  there  were  about  sixty  sove- 
reigns, whose  united  reigns  amount  to  nearly  nine  hundred 
and  fifty  years.  For  their  titles,  which  could  not  in  any 
respect  prove  interesting  to  the  general  reader,  we  willingly 
refer  to  the  volumes  of  Bruce  and  Salt,  where  they  are  given 
at  full  length,  and  with  as  much  precision  as  could  be 
derived  from  records  not  everywhere  free  from  obscurity. 

Judith  is  said  to  have  been  of  a  Hebrew  family,  the  de- 
scendant of  one  of  those  men  of  rank  in  the  Jewish  tribes 
who,  upon  the  conversion  of  the  Abyssinians  to  the  Chris- 
tian faith,  withdrew  into  the  strong  mountains  of  Samen, 
where  they  exercised  during  several  generations  a  separate 
and  independent  authority.  She  is  described  as  a  woman 
of  great  beauty  and  talents,  who,  inflamed  with  zeal  for  the 
religion  of  her  fathers,  resolved  with  the  aid  of  her  country- 
men to  subvert  the  doctrine  of  Christ  and  destroy  the  apos- 
tate race  of  Solomon.  To  accomplish  these  views,  she 
began  by  attacking  the  young  princes,  confined  according  to 
national  usage  on  the  high  hill  of  Darao,  and  massacred 
them  all,  with  the  exception  of  an  infant,  who  was  conveyed 


VTTI.  The  Synaxar  (Zwalapia),  or  Lives  of  the  Ethiopic  Saints, 
arranged  according  to  their  order  in  the  national  calendar,  in  four  volumes 
quarto.  Most  of  the  idle  legends  contained  in  this  book  are  translations 
from  the  Greek  and  Coptic.  The  saints  are  nothing  inferior  to  their 
western  brethren  in  strength  and  faith.  They  perform  greater  miracles, 
live  more  ascetic  lives,  and  suffer  more  dreadful  martyrdoms,  than  these 
holy  men;  all  which  is  nothing  surprising  in  the  native  country  ot 
eredulity,  superstition,  and  religious  zeal. 
K  % 


114  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

into  the  loyal  province  of  Shoa.  The  conqueror  imme- 
diately took  possession  of  the  throne,  and  removed  the  seat 
of  government  to  Lasta  ;  where,  after  enjoying  supreme 
power  in  her  own  person  not  less  than  forty  years,  she 
transmitted  it  to  her  descendants,  who  continued  to  rule 
over  the  greater  part  of  Abyssinia  about  the  space  of  three 
centuries. 

During  all  this  period,  and  indeed  down  to  the  year  f  255, 
very  little  is  known  respecting  the  affairs  of  the  country. 
The  Arabian  authors  mention  from  time  to  time  that  the 
clergy  sent  to  Egypt  to  have  an  abuna  consecrated, — 'that 
the  sceptre  had  again  fallen  into  the  hands  of  a  Christian 
king,  though  not  of  the  race  of  Solomon, — and  occasionally 
indicate  the  name  and  title  of  the  actual  monarch. 

About  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century  the  kingdom 
was  restored  to  the  representative  of  the  ancient  house, 
whose  family  continued  to  flourish  in  Shoa,  where  indeed 
their  hereditary  right  had  never  been  called  in  question. 
This  event  was  accomplished  by  the  interposition  of  Tecla 
Haimanout,  a  native  monk  of  Abyssinia,  who  had  been  raised 
to  the  episcopate,  and  is  known  as  the  founder  of  the 
famous  monastery  of  Devra  Libanos.  He  prevailed  upon 
the  reigning  sovereign  to  abdicate  the  throne  in  favour  of 
Icon  Amlac,  in  virtue  of  a  treaty  by  which  it  was  provided 
that  a  portion  of  land  should  be  given  to  the  retiring  prince, 
— that  one-third  of  the  kingdom  should  be  ceded  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  church, — and  that  no  Abyssinian  should 
thereafter  be  elected  abuna,  but  that  the  head  of  the  eccle- 
siastical body  should  always  be  named  by  the  patriarch  of 
Egypt.  The  following  catalogue  is  collected  from  various 
chronicles,  and  presents  at  least  an  approximation  to  the 
truth  of  history. 

Icon  Amlae 1255 

Woodem  Arad 1269 

Kudma  Asgud  ) 

Asfa  Asgud      V 1284 


Theodorus 1401 

Isaac 1402 

Andreas 1417 

Hesbinaan 1424 

Senfa  Asgud     N  j   Amda  Yasous  ) 

Bed  elNain       V 1429 

Isba  Nain  ) 

Zara  Jacob 1434 

Beda  Mariam 1468 


Bar  Asgud 1287 

Egba  Sion 1292 

Amda  Sion 1301 

Sef  Arad 1331 

Grim'asfare 1359       Secunder,  his  son  i  .  .„- 

David 1369       Amda  Sion  { H'* 


NUBIA    AND   ABYSSINIA. 


115 


1558 


1562 


Socinios 1607 

Facilidas 1632 

Yohannis  , '.  .1665 

Yasous  Tallak .1680 

Tecla  Haimanout 1699 

Theophiius 1706 

Oustas 1709 

David 1714 

Bacuffa 1719 

Yasous 1729 

Ayto  Yoas 1753 

The  fate  of  the  last  of  these  kings  has  been  already  men- 
tioned. From  Mr.  Salt's  volume  we  have  derived  this  sup- 
plementary list : 


N*od 1491 

Levana Denghel  )  ,—., 

David  \  lo0/ 

Claudius 1539 

Men  as  Adamas     > 
Segued  \  ' 

Sertza  Denghel,  or 
Malac  Segued,   and 

his  son  Yacob, 
Za  Denghel 
Yacob  restored 1604 


Tecla  Haimanout  reigned  8  years 

Solomon 2    — 

Tecla  Georgis 5    — 

Yasous 4    — 

Haimanout 1    — 

Iskias 6    — 

I'.eda  Mariam 2    — 

Yunus. two  months 


Adimo 2  year* 

Ayto  Gualoo,  or  Eg-  "i 
wala  Sion,  who  ac- 
cording jo  the  latest  ! 
accounts  was  sue-  ( 
ceeded  by  Itsa  Yoas  | 
hi  1818.  J 


H 


The  modern  history  of  Abyssinia  is  confined  to  a  narra- 
tive of  insurrections  and  petty  wars,  either  against  the  gen- 
eral government  or  among  the  subordinate  chiefs  them- 
selves. When  Mr.  Bruce  resided  there,  the  main  power 
was  in  the  hands  of  Ras  Michael  the  governor  of  Tigre, 
who,  while  he  acknowledged  a  nominal  subjection  to  the 
king,  directed  all  the  weighty  affairs  of  state.  The  most 
formidable  enemies  of  the  crown  were  the  princes  of  the 
Galla,  who. not  only  claimed  a  right  to  be  heard  in  all  public 
matters,  but  occasionally  asserted  a  degree  of  independence 
quite  inconsistent  with  monarchical  rule.  The  Ras  at- 
tempted to  gain  Powussen,  the  chieftain  of  Begemder,  by 
giving  to  him  his  granddaughter  in  marriage.  Festivities 
of  the  most  unrestrained  description  followed  this  event, 
which  it  was  expected  would  secure  peace  to  .the  kingdom, 
and  gratify  the  more  powerful  of  the  Galla  tribes. 

But  the  gay  scenes  at  Gondar  were  soon  succeeded  by  a 
furious  intestine  war  among  the  persons  by  whom  they 
were  celebrated.  Several  of  the  Galla  leaders,  among 
whom  was  Michael's  new  relative,  united  in  a  conspiracy  to 
destroy  him.  He  escaped  only  by  a  precipitate  retreat  into 
the  province  of  Tigre,  across  the  swollen  stream  of  the 
Tacazze.  The  triumphant  confederates  entered  Gondar, 
and  set  up  as  king  a  worthless  youth  called   Socinios,  in 


116  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

whose  name  they  administered  all  the  affairs  of  state.  Mr. 
Bruce,  the  adherent  of  Michael,  lost  all  his  honours,  but  was 
allowed  to  live  unmolested  with  Ozoro  Esther  and  her 
mother,  in  their  palace  of  Koscam.  This  uneasy  situation 
he  sought  to  vary  by  an  attempt  to  fulfil  the  grand  object  of 
his  ambition  ;  namely,  to  reach  the  sources  of  the  Nile, 
which  he  was  assured  were  situated  in  a  high  pastoral 
region  eastward  of  the  Lake  of  Dembea. 

The  country  now  to  be  visited  was  under  the  sway  of 
Fasil,  a  rude  but  powerful  Galla  chieftain,  who  had  promised 
to  protect  the  traveller,  and  from  whom  accordingly  a 
favourable  reception  was  expected.  He  was  found  in  a  little 
tent,  wrapped  in  a  lion's  skin,  and  sitting  upon  a  handful  of 
straw  spread  on  the  floor.  After  the  first  salutation  had 
passed,  he  seemed  disposed  to  take  no  further  notice  of  him  ; 
when  Bruce,  receiving  from  his  guide  a  hint  to  speak,  re- 
minded the  governor  of  his  promises,  and  solicited  his  per- 
mission and  aid  to  visit  the  source  of  the  Abay,  the  name 
here  given  to  the  Abyssinian  Kile.  Fasil,  without  any  cere- 
mony, started  various  objections,  in  the  course  of  which  he 
allowed  it  to  transpire  that  he  considered  Franks,  as  he 
reproachfully  termed  them,  as  little  better  than  boys  and 
women,  and  unfit  to  travel  in  a  land  of  warriors.  The 
visiter  then  burst  into  a  furious  passion,  loaded  him  with 
reproaches,  boasting  that  with  a  handful  of  Europeans  he 
would  trample  all  his  bands  of  naked  savages  in  the  dust. 
In  the  midst  of  this  tirade  the  blood  burst  from  his  nose,  and 
his  attendants  hurried  him  out  of  the  tent.  No  sooner  had 
he  cooled,  than  he  bitterly  repented  of  the  unseasonable  in- 
temperance which  had  apparently  cut  him  off  for  ever  from 
the  fondest  object  of  his  heart,  and  On  which  he  mpant  to 
establish  his  fame  with  future  ages.  It  soon  appeared,  how- 
ever, that  this  high  and  fierce  bearing  had  been  suited  to 
the  personage  to  whom  it  was  addressed  ;  for  he  learned  that 
Fasil  was  giving  directions  for  his  proceeding  early  next 
morning.  By  daybreak  horses  were  ready  ;  but  the  servants 
mounted  him  on  a  steed  so  unruly  that,  but  for  his  eques- 
trian skill,  his  life  would  have  been  in  danger.  The  Galla 
leader  declared  himself  wholly  ignorant  of  this  trick,  and 
gave  Mr.  Bruce  full  liberty  to  cut  the  groom  in  pieces.  He 
sent  forward  with  him  Woldo,  a  huge  half-naked  savage, 
holding  a  stick,  which  he  continually  brandished  ;  also  a 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  1  17 

horse,  intended  not  to  be  ridden  but  led  before  him,  and 
which,  serving  as  the  credentials  of  his  coming  from  Fasil, 
would  secure  him  against  all  violence.  The  animal  accord- 
ingly met  everywhere  the  profoundest  homage,  and  was 
only  pitied  for  being  employed  in  so  mean  a  service  as  that 
of  escorting  a  Frank.  After  passing  through  Dingleber, 
which  commanded  a  fine  view  of  the  LakeDembea,  he  saw 
a  band  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  which,  Woldo 
stated,  belonged  to  the  Jumper,  under  whose  auspices  they 
must  now  place  themselves  ;  whispering,  that  he  was  the 
greatest  thief  and  murderer  in  all  the  country  ;  and  on 
Bruce's  remonstrating  as  to  this  choice  of  a  protector,  he 
added,  "  So  much  the  better."  With  two  whistles  and  a 
yell  he  brought  fifty  men  to  assist  in  conveying  over  the 
baggage,  and  they  found  the  Jumper  busy  at  his  toilet,  rub- 
bing his  naked  body  with  melted  tallow,  and  embellishing 
his  locks  with  the  entrails  of  a  cow.  He  was  tall,  lean, 
sharp-faced,  with  small  eyes,  and  resembling  somewhat  a 
lank  greyhound.  He  showed  no  signs  of  curiosity  or  judg- 
ment, but  prodigious  bodily  activity,  and  was  accounted  the 
greatest  spoiler  of  all  the  Galla.  He  recommended  them  to 
his  brother  the  Lamb,  whom  they  found  encamped  in  the  dry 
bed  of  a  river,  watching  the  proceedings  of  a  neighbouring 
market,  whence,  however,  all  had  absented  themselves  on 
his  account.  He  appeared  equally  stupid  and  indifferent, 
though  he  bestowed  much  courtesy  on  Fasil's  horse.  The 
gentleness  of  his  character,  which  had  procured  him  this  ap- 
pellative, was  shown  by  his  murdering  men  and  children 
only,  and  usually  sparing  the  female  sex.  When  the  party, 
after  taking  leave,  had  proceeded  a  considerable  distance, 
they  were  alarmed  by  a  confusion  of  wild  and  barbarous 
cries,  and  on  looking  round  saw  a  band  of  savage  horsemen 
brandishing  their  lances  in  the  air.  They  put  themselves 
in  the  best  possible  attitude  of  defence,  till  they  heard  the 
cry  "  Fasilali  !"  This  company  was  under  the  direction 
of  their  friend  the  Lamb,  who,  having  heard  of  their  being 
in  danger  from  a  party  of  Agow  horse,  had  galloped  up  to 
defend  them.  Mr.  Bruce  was  so  much  pleased  with  this 
attention,  that  he  presented  the  barbarian  with  a  huge  piece 
of  raw  beef,  in  the  course  of  eating  which,  he  expressed 
severe  disappointment  at  not  having  met  the  Agows,  and 
being  thereby  supplied  with  an  opportunity  of  showing  how 
dexterously  he  would  have  cut  them  all  in  pieces. 


1  18  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

The  traveller  lost  no  time  in  following  out  his  main  ob- 
ject, and  was  conducted  to  the  village  of  Geesh,  where  the 
Nile,  as  it  was  termed,  was  only  a  scanty  rivulet ;  and  he 
stepped  across  it  fifty  or  sixty  times  in  triumph.  He  then 
viewed,  with  still  higher  rapture,  the  two  fountains  which 
unite  in  forming  this  celebrated  stream.  In  fact,  however, 
he  laboured  under  an  error  ;  the  main  source  of  the  Egyp- 
tian river,  as  we  have  already  stated,  not  being  here,  but  in 
a  remote  part  of  Africa,  south  of  Darfur,  and  called  in  its 
upper  course  the  Bahr  el  Abiad.  But  that  the  Abyssinian 
Dranch  is  the  Nile  had  been  the  belief  of  most  geographers 
in  latter  times,  and  nothing  could  ever  induce  him  to  relin- 
quish it.  He  stoutly  denies  also,  though  seemingly  on 
elender  grounds,  the  claim  of  Paez  to  be  considered  the  first 
discoverer  even  Gf  these  interesting  springs. 

Mr.  Bruce  now  returned  to  Gondar  ;  on  his  way  to  which 
he  was  hospitably  entertained  by  Shalaka  Welled  Amlac, 
a  friendly  chief,  in  his  palace,  which  consisted  of  one  large 
apartment  sufficient  to  accommodate  his  wives,  family, 
horses,  and  mules,-  and  was  hung  round  with  trunks  of 
elephants  killed  by  his  own  hand.  In  the  capital  our  coun- 
tryman was  at  first  ill  received  ;  but  the  fortune  of  war  soon 
enabled  Ras  Michael  to  enter  that  city  and  expel  from  it 
the  Galla  chiefs.  A  time  of  agreeable  relaxation  was  then 
expected  ;  but  that  leader,  now  triumphant,  and  enraged  at 
the  treachery  of  many  of  the  citizens,  gave  full  scope  to  the 
vindictive  propensity  which  stains  his  memory.  The  streets 
streamed  with  blood,  and  Mr.  Bruce  could  not  stir  out 
without  seeing  dead  bodies  lying  even  in  the  court  of  the 
palace.  Shuddering  with  horror,  he  began  anxiously  to 
negotiate  for  permission  to  return  to  Europe;  but  he  was, 
in  the  mean  time,  obliged  to  accompany  the  army  to  the 
battle  of  Serbraxos,  where  he  distinguished  himself,  and 
was  rewarded  with  a  gold  chain  and  a  splendid  suit  of 
apparel.  In  that  action  the  Ras's  forces  kept  possession  of 
the  field ;  but  his  loss  was  so  great,  while  the  Galla  con- 
stantly received  new  reinforcements,  that  he  was  compelled 
to  fall  back  upon  Gondar,  where  he  was  soon  enclosed, 
and  reduced  almost  to  the  state  of  a  prisoner. 

Amid  these  agitations,  the  traveller  gladly  embraced  the 
permission  which  he  at  last  obtained  to  return  home.  He 
passed  first  through  the  woods  and  marshes  of  Ras-el-Foel, 


• 


Kena  Yasous. 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  121 

of  which  he  had  been  made  the  nominal  governor.  At 
Tcherkin  he  was  vastly  surprised  to  meet  his  great  friend 
Ozoro  Esther,  who  had  with  her  Tecla  Mariam,  the  greatest 
beauty  in  Abyssinia  ;  and  they  were  soon  joined  by  her  son 
Ayto  Confu.  This  party,  like  himself,  had  retired  from  the 
disturbed  vicinity  of  the  court,  and  he  spent  a  fortnight 
with  them  in  festivity,  as  well  as  in  hunting  the  elephant 
and  rhinoceros,  which  abound  in  those  vast  forests. 

Among  the  principal  characters  who  figured  at  court,  in 
the  camp,  and  in  the  field,  none  was  entitled  to  higher 
respect  than  Kefla  Yasous.  His  conduct  at  the  battle  of 
Limjour,  where  the  royal  troops  were  thrown  into  conster- 
nation by  the  arrival  of  Fasil,  saved  the  kin  a,  and  prevented 
the  disastrous  effects  of  a  hasty  retreat.  The  portrait  here 
given  is  understood  to  be  a  faithful  likeness  of  that  brave 
warrior,  while  it  represents  the  headdress  of  an  Abyssinian 
chief  after  a  successful  contest  either  with  a  personal  or  a 
public  enemy.  The  horn  displayed  on  the  forehead  will 
illustrate  the  allusions  made  in  Sacred  Scripture  to  the  horn 
of  the  righteous,  and  to  the  lifting  up  of  the  horn  on  high 
while  the  proud  man  speaketh  with  a  stiff  neck. 

It  was  in  the  year  1771  that  Mr.  Bruce  left  Abyssinia, 
uncertain  as  to  the  effect  of  recent  events  on  the  fortunes  of 
his  most  intimate  acquaintances.  There  could  be  no  doubt 
that  the  Galla  had  obtained  the  ascendency  in  the  capital, 
and  were  now  in  a  condition  to  dictate  to  the  monarch,  who 
held  his  throne  at  their  pleasure.  Nor  was  it  till  1805 
that  Mr.  Salt,  who  accompanied  Lord  Valentia  in  his  voy- 
age from  India,  made  an  excursion  into  that  country,  and 
thereby  found  the  means  of  adding  somewhat  to  our  know- 
ledge of  its  actual  situation. 

Five  years  afterward  he  was  intrusted  with  a  mission 
to  the  court  of  Gondar ;  but  it  deserves  to  be  noticed,  that 
on  neither  occasion  was  he  able  to  penetrate  farther  than 
to  the  northern  division  of  the "Tigre.  He  found,  however, 
that  all  Bruce's  great  friends  and  enemies,  Ras  Michael, 
Ozoro  Esther,  Ayto  Confu,  and  Guebra  Mascal,  were  dead. 
Welled  Selasse,  whom  that  traveller  had  known  as  a  prom- 
ising young  man  of  twenty-four,  had,  on  the  death  of  the 
Old  Lion,  as  Michael  was  called,  raised  himself  to  the  dig- 
nity of  Ras,  and  to  the  government  of  all  the  provinces 
which  the  other  had  ruled.  Meantime  Gusho,  the  Galla 
L 


122  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

chief,  was  master  of  Gondar,  and  contended  with  Selasse; 
for  the  supreme  sway,  with  the  right  of  nominating  a  person 
who  should  bear  the  empty  title  of  king. 

The  enmity  between  these  two  potentates  was  so  great 
as  to  render  it  impossible  to  proceed  from  the  one  to  the  other, 
and  thus  baffled  all  Mr.  Salt's  attempts  to  reach  the  capital. 
There  remained,  indeed,  a  third  division  of  Abyssinia,  con- 
sisting of  the  southern  provinces  of  Shoa  and  Efat,  which 
appeared  still  to  be  governed  by  a  prince  descended  from 
the  ancient  royal  family.  But  these  districts  have  not  been 
visited  by  any  recent  traveller,  though  they  unquestionably 
form  one  of  the  finest  parts  of  the  kingdom,  and  contain  a 
greater  proportion,  perhaps,  than  any  other  of  the  ancient 
Ethiopian  learning.  It  is  enough  to  mention,  however, 
that  they  cannot  be  approached  without  passing  through  the 
lands  of  those  barbarous  tribes  who  at  present  enjoy  the 
supreme  power  in  the  neighbouring  regions. 

During  Mr.  Salt's  first  visit  he  was  supplied  by  Ligantur 
Metcha,  a  priest  of  some  rank,  with  a  sketch  of  the  political 
changes  which  had  taken  place  subsequently  to  the  departure 
of  Bruce.  The  character  of  Joas,  the  events  of  his  reign, 
and  his  assassination  by  Ras  Michael,  as  related  by  that 
author,  were  all  fully  confirmed.  He  w7as  succeeded  by 
Hannes,  who,  after  holding  the  sceptre  only  five  months, 
died  of  disease,  and  not  by  poison,  as  it  is  recorded  in  the 
Travels.  Tecla  Haimanout,  the  son  of  that  prince,  a  re- 
markably fair  and  handsome  man,  next  mounted  the  throne. 
He  was  greatly  attached  to  the  Ras,  who,  during  his  reign, 
was  often  in  a  state  of  open  hostility  with  Fasil  of  Gojam, 
whom  he  beat  at  the  battle  of  Fagitta,  a  short  time,  as  Met- 
cha remembered,  before  Bruce  came  into  the  country.  A 
powerful  party  was  afterward  formed  against  Michael,  and 
Gusho  was  made  Ras  ;  upon  which  the  old  warrior  retired 
to  his  province  of  Tigre.  After  governing  eight  years, 
Tecla  Haimanout  was  driven  from  his  throne  by  Wordo 
Wussun  (Powussen),  and  soon  after  died  in  retirement  at 
Waldubba,  leaving  one  son.  Welled  Solomon. 

Upon  this  vacancy  Ayto  Solomon,  though  in  no  respect 
related  to  his  predecessor,  succeeded  to  the  throne,  sup- 
ported by  the  forces  of  Begemder  and  Gojam.  The  reign 
of  this  prince  continued  only  two  years,  and  at  his  death, 
Tecla  Georgis,  brother  of  Tecla  Haimanout,  was  raised  to 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  123 

the  sovereign  authority  by  Confu  Adam  and  Ras  Ayto,  who 
then  commanded  the  provinces  of  Gojam,  the  Agows,  and 
Damot.  Soon  after  his  accession  (1801)  died  Ras  Michael, 
in  the  eighty-eighth  year  of  his  age,  and  was  succeeded  in 
the  government  of  Tigre  by  Welled  Gabriel,  his  son.  Tecla 
Georgis,  having  reigned  only  five  years,  was  dethroned, 
and  after  wandering  long  through  various  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, finally  retired  to  the  mountains  of  Waldubba.  To  him 
succeeded  Yasous  the  Third,  who  was  raised  to  the  supreme 
power  by  Ras  Ayto.  The  new  king  died  of  the  small-pox, 
after  reigning  four  years,  and  through  the  united  interest 
of  Ayto  and  Welled  Gabriel  was  replaced  by  Beda  Mariam: 
the  latter  of  these  chiefs,  a  short  time  afterward,  was  slain 
in  battle  by  Ras  Ally  of  Begemder. 

After  sitting  two  years  on  the  throne,  Mariam  was  deposed 
by  the  Ras  just  named,  assisted  by  the  Edjow  Galla  ;  upon 
which  he  went  to  Samen,  where  he  lived  under  the  protec- 
tion of  Ras  Gabriel.  His  successor  was  Ayto  Ischias,  son 
of  the  late  Sultan  Yasous,  who,  after  having  enjoyed  the 
sovereignty  six  years,  was  dethroned  by  Ras  Merrid,  son  of 
Ayto  of  Gojam,  and  obliged  to  flee  from  his  capital.  In 
conjunction  with  this  commander,  Ras  Welled  Selasse 
raised  Ayto  Solomon,  son  of  Tecla  Haimanout,  to  the  head 
of  affairs  ;  but  he  was  not  able  to  maintain  himself  in  his 
royal  estate,  though  supported  by  the  powerful  interest  of 
Tigre,  for  after  two  years  he  was  obliged  to  seek  protection 
in  the  house  of  his  friend  the  governor  of  that  province. 

It  was  now  the  turn  of  Begemder  to  assume  the  supe- 
riority, and  Ras  Iserat  accordingly  thought  himself  entitled 
to  place  Ayto  Yunus  on  the  throne.  This  sovereign,  how- 
ever, had  not  ruled  more  than  three  months,  when  Guxo, 
chief  of  the  Edjow  Galla,  removed  him,  and  elevated  Ayto 
Edimo,  brother  of  Tecla  Georgis,  who,  having  lived  but  two 
years,  was  succeeded  by  Ayto  Gualoo,  the  monarch  whom 
Mr.  Salt  found  in  possession  of  power. 

This  narrative,  communicated  to  the  traveller,  is,  as  he 
himself  remarks,  very  probably  true,  because  it  agrees  with 
the  circumstances  of  the  country  ;  and  the  period  of  the 
several  reigns  taken  together  exactly  coincides  with  the 
time  which  had  elapsed  since  the  days  of  Joas  the  First. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the  royal  family  were  no 
longer  confined  to  the  mountains  of  Wechn6,  this  custom 


124  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

having  been  some  years  abolished.  They  now  lived  in  a 
state  of  dependence  on  the  chiefs  of  the  several  provinces. 
Welled  Gabriel,  the  son  of  Michael,  commanded  in  Tigre 
eight  years,  after  which  Guebra  Mascal  was  appointed  by 
Tecla  Georgis  ;  but  the  latter  had  scarcely  taken  possession 
of  his  province  when  he  was  attacked  by  Welled  Selasse, 
then  at  the  head  of  an  army  in  Enderta,  who  seized  his 
person,  and  after  keeping  him  some  time  in  confinement, 
gave  him  a  village,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  Selasse"  was  master  of  Tigre  at  the  period  under  our 
consideration,  and,  as  we  shall  afterward  find,  he  continued 
to  enjoy  it  many  years. 

At  the  departure  of  Mr.  Salt  from  Abyssinia  in  1805,  he 
left  behind  him  a  sailor  belonging  to  the  Antelope,  whose 
name  was  Pearce,  and  who,  having  deserted  from  one  of 
his  majesty's  ships,  and  wounded  a  soldier  on  duty  at  Bom- 
bay, preferred  the  choice  of  a  new  country  to  the  hazard  of 
punishment  and  disgrace  at  home.  He  had  spent  five  years 
among  the  half-civilized  natives  of  Tigre,  sometimes  under 
the  protection  of  the  Ras,  who  had  promised  to  befriend 
him,  and  occasionally  trusting  to  his  own  resources,  when 
his  patron,  in  the  character  of  British  envoy  to  the  Abyssinian 
emperor,  appeared  again  in  the  Red  Sea.  The  adventurous 
mariner,  who  had  not  neglected  to  acquire  a  competent 
knowledge  of  the  language  and  manners  of  the  people, 
proved  extremely  useful  to  Mr.  Salt  in  his  attempt  to  pene- 
trate through  the  rebellious  provinces,  in  order  to  deliver  to 
his  imperial  highness  the  letter  and  presents  with  which  he 
was  charged.  He  communicated  at  the  same  time  a  short 
account  of  the  occurrences  which  had  taken  place  during 
his  residence  in  that  strange  land.  He  does  not  conceal 
that  his  turbulent  and  restless  disposition  frequently  made 
him  forfeit  the  countenance  of  his  superiors,  and  even  re- 
duced him  to  great  distress  ;  but  his  zeal,  courage,  and 
ability,  whenever  an  opportunity  occurred  for  their  exercise, 
never  failed  to  restore  him  to  the  approbation  of  the  prince 
as  well  as  to  the  full  enjoyment  of  all  his  privileges. 

An  occasion  of  this  nature  presented  itself  in  March, 
1807,  when  a  powerful  league  was  formed  by  several  of  the 
most  formidable  chiefs  in  the  interest  of  Ras  Michael's 
family,  for  the  destruction  of  Welled  Selasse.  The  latter, 
indeed,  raising  a  powerful  army,  quickly  reduced  the  insur- 


NUBIA    AND   ABYSSINIA.  125 

gents  to  unqualified  submission  ;  but  while  the  negotiations 
for  peace  were  going  on  a  plot  was  formed  by  some  of  the 
confederates  to  burn  the  Ras  in  his  quarters  at  Adowa, 
where,  in  the  full  confidence  of  victory,  he  lay  at  some  dis- 
tance from  his  troops,  and  very  slenderly  attended.  The 
scheme  had  nearly  succeeded,  and  part  of  the  building  was 
already  in  a  blaze,  when  Pearce,  who  was  encamped  with 
the  army  outside  of  the  town,  being  awakened  by  the  glare 
of  light,  seized  his  musket,  and  hastening  to  the  spot,  rushed 
undauntedly  through  the  flames  to  the  assistance  of  the 
old  man.  The  fire  was  soon  extinguished  and  the  con- 
spirators punished.  The  Englishman  was  immediately 
replaced  in  the  good  graces  of  the  governor,  who  increased 
his  pay,  gave  him  a  white  mule  as  a  mark  of  distinction, 
and  appointed  him  to  a  situation  of  trust  and  honour. 

But  the  jealousy  of  his  enemies  and  his  own  impetuous 
temper,  quickly  occasioned  an  absolute  rupture  between  him 
and  the  Ras ;  upon  which  he  threatened  to  go  over  to  his 
great  rival  Gojee  ;  a  menace  which  so  incensed  the  aged 
ruler  that  he  told  Pearce,  though  he  would  prevent  his 
putting  that  plan  in  execution,  he  might  go  anywhere  else 
he  thought  proper  provided  he  never  appeared  in  his  pres- 
ence again.  In  consequence  of  this  dispute  he  left  Antalo, 
and  for  some  time  led  a  wandering  life  in  different  districts 
of  Abyssinia,  till  he  heard  that  Welled  was  on  the  point  of 
being  once  more  attacked  by  the  Galla,  under  the  furious 
leader  whose  name  has  just  been  specified.  This  intelli- 
gence made  him  forget  his  quarrel  ;  and,  accordingly,  col- 
lecting what  forces  he  was  able  to  muster,  he  directed  his 
march  towards  the  capital  of  Tigre. 

On  his  arrival,  we  are  told,  many  of  the  chiefs  expressed 
their  astonishment  at  seeing  him,  and  strongly  urged  him 
not  to  venture  into  the  presence  of  Selasse  ;  but  Pearce, 
proudly  conscious  of  the  motives  that  had  prompted  him  to 
return,  felt  no  apprehension,  and  requested  an  audience,  to 
which  he  was  instantly  admitted.  As  he  approached  the 
old  Ras,  he  thought  he  saw,  as  he  himself  expresses  it, 
something  pleasant  in  his  countenance,  as  he  turned  to  one 
of  his  officers  and  said,  pointing  to  the  English  sailor, 
"  Look  at  that  man  !  he  came  to  me  a  stranger  about  five 
years  ago,  and  not  being  satisfied  with  my  treatment  left 
me  in  great  anger  ;  but  now  that  I  am  deserted  by  some  of 
L2 


126  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

my  friends,  and  pressed  upon  by  my  enemies,  he  is  come  to 
fight  by  my  side."  He  then  with  tears  in  his  eyes  desired 
Pearce  to  sit  down,  ordered  a  cloth  of  the  best  quality  to  be 
thrown  over  his  shoulders,  and  gave  him  a  mule  and  a 
handsome  allowance  for  his  support. 

Nor  did  this  enthusiastic  volunteer  belie  the  expectations 
that  were  entertained  of  him.  Soon  afterward,  the  Ras, 
having  assembled  his  army,  marched  against  the  barbarian 
foes  who  had  attempted  to  take  him  at  disadvantage.  After 
some  skirmishing,  mixed  with  a  show  of  negotiation,  Gojee 
shifted  his  ground  to  the  plains  of  Marzella,  which  he  had 
determined  should  be  the  scene  of  battle,  while  the  other 
took  his  station  near  the  sources  of  the  Tacazze.  A  last 
effort  was  tried  by  the  Ras  for  an  accommodation,  which 
was  haughtily  rejected  by  the  Galla  chieftain,  and  both  par- 
ties prepared  for  a  decisive  engagement.  In  the  action 
wrhich  ensued  Selasse  appears  to  have  arranged  his  forces 
with  considerable  skill ;  but  an  impetuous  charge  on  his 
centre  made  by  the  savage  followers  of  Gojee  compelled  it 
to  give  way.  Enraged  at  the  sight,  Welled  called  for  his 
favourite  horse  ;  which  being  held  back  by  his  officers,  who 
felt  anxious  for  his  personal  safety,  he  urged  his  mule  for- 
ward and  galloped  into  the  front ;  where,  by  his  conspicuous 
appearance  and  gallant  demeanour,  he  quickly  infused  fresh 
energy  into  his  troops,  and  retrieved  the  fortune  of  the  field. 
On  this  critical  occasion  Pearce  was  among  the  first  to  ad- 
vance ;  and  the  Ras,  seeing  him  in  the  thick  of  the  fight, 
cried  out,  "  Stop,  stop  that  madman  !"  But  he  called  in 
vain  ;  for  the  other  dashed  on,  killed  at  one  blow  a  Galla 
chief  who  was  pressing  forward  at  the  head  of  his  men,  and 
by  his  courage  throughout  the  day  gained  the  admiration  of 
all  around  him.  Gojee  himself  escaped  with  difficulty,  and 
his  whole  army  was  totally  routed.  In  the  course  of  many 
desperate  enterprises  in  which  the  Ras  was  engaged  subse- 
quently to  this  celebrated  victory,  Pearce,  who  always  ac- 
companied him,  had  several  opportunities  of  distinguishing 
himself,  and  of  establishing  a  high  character  for  intrepidity 
and  conduct. 

The  facts  now  stated  are  the  substance  of  the  communi- 
cation made  by  this  singular  man  to  Mr.  Salt,  during  his 
residence  in  Abyssinia  as  envoy  from  the  British  crown. 
Mr.  Pearce,  who  had  resolved  still  to  remain  in  the  country, 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  127 

was  joined  by  Mr.  Coffin,  supercargo  of  the  ship  in  which 
the  ambassador  went  out.  The  former  was  earnestly  re- 
quested by  his  learned  friend  to  keep  a  regular  journal  of 
passing  occurrences,  and  more  especially  of  the  adventures 
in  which  he  himself  might  be  engaged, — a  request  with 
which  he  complied  to  the  utmost  of  his  power.  That  diary 
is  now  in  the  hands  of  the  public,  and  affords  to  the  Euro- 
pean reader  the  only  means  of  knowing  what  took  place  in 
Abyssinia  subsequently  to  the  year  1810. 

The  political  incidents  which  diversify  the  narrative  of 
the  seaman  are  not  of  sufficient  interest  to  engage  the  at- 
tention of  the  general  reader.  Welled  Selasse  found  it 
necessary  to  be  almost  constantly  in  the  field,  to  check  the 
ravages  or  defeat  the  pretensions  of  some  ambitious  chief. 
It  would  seem,  indeed,  that  at  one  period  the  Abyssinian 
monarchy  was  on  the  very  point  of  dissolution,  and  about  to 
be  parcelled  out  among  a  number  of  princes  or  local  gov- 
ernors, according  to  the  amount  of  the  forces  which  they 
could  muster  under  their  respective  banners.  The  Galla  in 
particular,  to  whom  war  is  pastime,  and  plunder  one  of  the 
legitimate  means  of  subsistence,  never  ceased  their  incur- 
sions into  the  territory  of  the  more  civilized  inhabitants  ;  for 
although  they  were  frequently  beaten  by  the  troops  of  Tigre, 
their  ranks  were  never  permanently  thinned  nor  their  spirits 
broken.  Pearce  relates,  that  the  kings  living  at  one  time 
during  his  stay  in  the  country  were  as  follows  : — Tecla 
Georgis,  in  Waldubba  ;  Itsa  Ischias,  in  Gondar ;  Ayto 
Gualoo,  then  on  the  throne  in  that  city  ;  Itsa  Yoas,  like- 
wise in  the  capital ;  Itsa  Yonas,  in  Gojam  ;  and  Beda  Ma- 
riana, in  Samen.  They  are  all,  he  adds,  related  to  each 
.other,  and,  as  they  boast,  descended  from  the  true  race  of 
'Menilec  ;  "but  the  kings  of  Abyssinia  have  so  many  wives 
from  far  and  near  that  it  makes  it  difficult  to  determine  to 
whom  the  crown  should  descend,  and  this  point  is  generally 
decided  more  by  might  than  by  right."* 

In  the  month  of  May,  1816,  Ras  Welled  Selassd  breathed 
his  last,  leaving  the  province  in  a  very  distracted  condition. 
His  death  was  kept  secret  from  the  people,  every  one  being 
sensible  of  the  calamities  which  would  follow.  "  Welleta 
Tisral  began  to  scream  and  lament,  which  would  have  given 

■  Life  and  Adventures  of  Nathaniel  Pearce,  vol.  i.  p.  Ill,  112. 


128  CIVIL   HISTORY   OF 

the  alarm,  had  not  one  of  the  slaves  knocked  her  down 
senseless,  and  threatened  her  life  if  she  even  sobbed.  Every 
thing  was  carried  away  by  stealth  to  the  giddam  of  Temben  ; 
and  on  the  second  night  a  fter  his  death  his  body  was  wrapped 
up  in  a  clean  cloth,  and,  as  if  stolen,  was  taken  by  the  slaves, 
Mr.  Coffin,  and  Buggerunde  Tusfu,  over  the  wall  of  his 
garden  to  the  church,  where  they  had  already  opened  the 
grave  of  his  brother  Manasse.  Allicar  Barhe  and  the  abuna 
were  informed  of  the  event ;  but  before  they  arrived  the 
others  had  taken  up  the  bones  of  Manasse,  which  were  in 
a  great  coffin  made  out  of  the  door  of  his  house  when  he 
■died  in  December,  1809.  The  Ras's  body  was  put  beneath, 
and  Manasse^ s  bones  then  laid  on  the  top."* 

The  two  following  years  were  spent  in  sanguinary  strug- 
gles for  the  government  of  Tigre,  which  appears  to  have 
been  more  highly  valued  than  the  jurisdiction  of  the  king. 
This  great  object  was  at  length  obtained  by  Subegadis,  a 
brave  intelligent  young  man,  whose  elevation  had  been  pre- 
dicted by  Mr.  Salt,  to  whom  he  was  intimately  known.  He 
is  in  stature  about  five  feet  ten  inches,  broad  shouldered, 
and  his  whole  frame  partaking  of  that  iron-like  and  sinewy 
character  which  denotes  the  true  child  of  the  hills,  and  en- 
ables him  to  endure  without  inconvenience  the  most  arduous 
exertions  and  the  severest,  privations.  His  countenance  is 
handsome,  a  little  inclining  to  the  Roman  ;  his  teeth  are 
white  and  regular  ;  his  hair  is  jet  black  and  in  profusion, 
and,  which  is  very  remarkable  in  that  country,  his  large  ex- 
pressive penetrating  eye  is  of  a  dark-gray.  His  complexion, 
as  well  as  that  of  his  family,  is  fair  for  an  Abyssinian,  and 
indeed  he  sometimes  makes  it  his  boast  that  he  is  descended 
from  white  people, — a  circumstance  which  the  great  anti- 
quity of  his  race  renders  by  no  means  improbable. 

From  the  nature  of  his  pursuits,  it  was  not  to  be  expected 
that  his  habits  should  have  been  distinguished  by  a  very 
rigid  morality.  But  the  Ras,  a  little  time  before  Mr.  Coffin 
left  the  country,  when  he  had  become  settled  in  his  govern- 
ment, began  to  devote  his  thoughts  seriously  to  religious 
subjects.  He  dismissed  all  his  wives  with  a  handsome  pro- 
vision, except  the  daughter  of  Hilier  Mariam  whom  he  had 
recently  married,  and  to  confirm  his  promise  of  remaining 

*  Pearce,  vol.  ii.  p.  84. 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  129 

faithful  to  her  received  the  sacrament  at  the  church  of  Axurn. 
The  last  accounts  obtained  from  Abyssinia  left  Subegadis 
preparing  for  a  march  to  Gondar,  to  establish  his  power  in 
that  quarter  of  the  country  ;  and,  as  nearly  all  the  principal 
chiefs  in  that  neighbourhood  were  dead,  and  their  armies 
dispersed,  it  is  more  than  probable  that  he  accomplished  his 
purpose,  and  perhaps  placed  himself  on  the  imperial  throne.* 

Ayto  Gualoo,  the  nominal  sovereign  of  the  empire,  died 
in  May,  1818,  a  short  time  before  Pearce  sailed  for  Egypt. 
He  was  succeeded  by  his  brother  Itsa  Yoas,  who  was 
anointed  and  crowned  on  the  14th  of  June,  under  th"e  pro- 
tection of  the  Ras  Guxo,  who  thought  fit  to  prefer  him  to 
all  his  nephews,  the  sons  of  the  late  monarch,  who,  says 
Pearce,  "  are  a  wild  and  wretched  set."  But  as  Subegadis 
rose  to  power  through  a  different  interest,  it  is  very  prob- 
able, as  we  have  already  suggested,  that  he  may  have  de- 
posed King  Yoas,  and  seized  the  sceptre  either  for  his  own 
hand  or  for  that  of  some  dependent  prince  whom  he  has 
been  pleased  to  honour. 

Leaving  the  history  of  Abyssinia  we  return  to  the  Valley 
of  the  Upper  Nile,  the  annals  of  which  acquire  a  peculiar 
interest  at  the  very  moment  when  all  channels  of  informa- 
tion respecting  the  other  are  obstructed.  We  have  else- 
where mentioned  the  expedition  into  Nubia  and  Sennaar 
under  the  command  of  Ishmael  Pasha,  whose  steps  we 
followed  with  the  view  of  extending  our  geographical  know- 
ledge of  those  remote  countries.  It  was,  we  are  told,  the 
ambition  of  Mohammed  Ali  to  possess  all  the  banks  and 
islands  of  the  Egyptian  river,  and  to  be  master  of  all  who 
drink  of  its  waters  from  its  sources  to  the  Mediterranean. 
His  plans  of  conquest  are  said  to  have  even  comprehended 
Abyssinia ;  but  it  is  understood  he  relinquished  his  designs 
against  that  kingdom  in  consequence  of  a  formal  assurance 
that  an  attack  on  a  Christian  state  so  situated  would  prob- 
ably involve  him  with  the  British  government.  He  there- 
fore determined  to  limit  his  conquests  to  Dongola,  Dar- 
Sheygya,  Berber,  Shendy,  Kordofan,  Darfur,  and  Sennaar. 

The  army,  which  amounted  to  about  ten  thousand  men, 
included  the  natives  of  various  countries, — Turks,  both 
European  and  Asiatic,  Arabs,  Bedouins,  and  Moggrebins. 

*  Pearce,  vol.  ii.  p.  291.    Note  by  Editor. 


130  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

Departing  from  Cairo  in  the  summer  of  1820,  Ishmael  pur- 
sued his  march  without  opposition  to  New  Dongola,  which 
he  found  evacuated  by  the  Mamlouks,  who  had  some  months 
before  retired  to  Shendy.  He  next  advanced  into  the  ter- 
ritory of  the  Sheygyans,  a  people  famed  for  their  love  of 
liberty,  and  celebrated  among  the  surrounding  tribes  as 
most  vigilant  and  successful  warriors.  They  acknowledged 
the  authority  of  two  chiefs  or  meleks,  whose  names  were 
Shoous  and  Zibarra  ;  the  former  of  whom  ruled  the  king- 
dom of  Merawe,  while  the  latter  exercised  the  sovereignty 
of  the  lower  district,  the  capital  of  which  is  Hannech. 

After  a  vain  attempt  at  negotiation  the  pasha  resolved  on 
an  appeal  to  arms.  The  first  skirmish  appears  to  have 
taken  place  near  Old  Dongola,  where  Ishmael,  some  of  his 
officers,  and  a  few  soldiers  were  suddenly  attacked  by  those 
brave  horsemen  of  the  desert.  The  assailants  were  soon 
repulsed  ;  but  a  more  serious  action  followed  in  the  course 
of  a  few  days  in  the  vicinity  of  Korti,  whither  the  Sheygyans 
had  retreated.  On  this  occasion  the  Egyptian  commander 
had  with  him  only  six  hundred  cavalry,  some  mounted  Be- 
douins, but  no  cannon.  The  enemy  advanced  to  the  charge 
with  great  fury,  and  uttering  loud  screams.  The  Arabs, 
who  rode  on  dromedaries,  and  were  indifferently  armed, 
could  not  withstand  the  impetuosity  of  the  onset.  They 
were  driven  back  on  the  main  body  in  great  disorder ;  but 
at  this  critical  moment  the  son  of  Mohammed  Ali  ordered 
his  more  regular  troops  to  check  the  conquerors  by  a  volley 
of  carbines  and  pistols.  The  conflict  was  no  longer  doubt- 
ful. The  barbarians  fled  in  dismay,  while  such  of  them  as 
fought  on  foot  fell  on  their  faces,  holding  their  shields  over 
their  heads,  and  imploring  mercy. 

Mr.  Waddington  relates,  that  the  Sheygyans  are  singu- 
larly fearless  in  attack,  and  ride  up  to  the  very  faces  of  their 
enemy  with  levity  and  gayety  of  heart  as  to  a  festival,  or 
with  joy  as  if  to  meet  friends  from  whom  they  had  been  long 
separated.  They  then  give  the  salami  "  peace  be  with  you," 
— the  peace  of  death  which  is  to  attend  the  lance  that  in- 
stantly follows  the  salutation  :  mortal  thrusts  are  given  and 
received  with  the  words  of  love  upon  the  lips.  This  con- 
tempt of  life,  this  mockery  of  what  is  most  fearful,  is  pecu- 
liar to  themselves, — the  only  people  to  whom  arms  are  play- 
things, and  war  a  sport, — who  among  their  enemies  seek 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  131 

nothing  but   amusement,   and  in  death  fear  nothing  but 
repose.* 

But  the  result  of  the  affair  at  Korti  appeared  in  the  sub- 
mission of  several  of  the  inferior  chiefs,  and  in  the  surrender 
of  their  strong-holds.  The  pasha  continued  his  march 
into  the  province  of  Sheygya,  where  Melek  Shoous  had  col- 
lected the  whole  force  of  the  republic  with  the  determina- 
tion of  risking  another  battle.  The  position  selected  by  the 
barbarian  was  extremely  advantageous,  and  which,  had 
there  been  no  difference  in  the  arms  used  by  the  contending 
hosts,  would  probably  have  secured  to  him  a  decisive  victory. 
But  the  mass  of  peasantry  whom  he  had  dragged  or  induced 
into  the  field  had  no  other  weapons  than  lances,  shields,  and 
two-edged  swords  ;  and  they  were  placed  in  the  front,  rather 
to  receive  and  exhaust  the  shot  of  the  Egyptians,  than  to 
maintain  any  effectual  resistance  in  the  moment  of  attack. 
The  pasha  posted  his  troops  parallel  to  the  enemy,  placing 
the  greater  part  of  his  horsemen  opposite  to  the  open  ground 
between  the  mountain  and  the  river,  and  pushing  the  artil- 
lery a  little  in  advance.  The  natives,  uttering  loud  cries 
and  brandishing  their  lances,  rushed  forward  ;  and  many 
of  the  infantry,  with  no  other  arms  than  those  already  de- 
scribed, threw  themselves  upon  the  cannon,  and  were  blown 
to  atoms. 

The  desperate  courage  of  these  wretched  peasants,  says 
the  American  officer,  was  astonishing  ;  they  advanced  more 
than  once  to  the  muzzles  of  the  pieces,  and  wounded  some 
of  the  artillerymen  in  the  very  act  of  loading  them.  But 
after  feeling  the  effects  of  a  few  rounds,  which  dashed  horse 
and  man  to  pieces,  they  fled  in  dismay,  leaving  their  foot- 
soldiers  "  to  be  rode  over  and  shot  down  by  our  cavalry,  who 
destroyed  many  hundreds  of  them  in  the  pursuit.  I  say 
1  shot  down,'  for  the  sabre  was  found  an  unavailing  weapon, 
as  these  people  are  so  adroit  in  the  management  of  their 
shields  that  they  parried  every  stroke.  I  have  seen  upon  the 
field  where  this  battle  was  fought  several  shields  that  had 
not  less  than  ten  or  fifteen  sabre-cuts,  each  lying  upon  the 
dead  body  of  the  man  who  carried  it,  and  who  had  evidently 
died  by  two  or  three  balls  shot  into  him.  The  soldiers  have 
told  me  that  they  had  frequently  to  empty  their  carbine  and 
pistols  upon  one  man  before  he  would  fall."  t 

*  Travels,  p.  98.  t  Narrative  of  Expedition,  p.  84. 


132  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

This  unusual  valour  or  military  fanaticism  has  been  as- 
cribed to  an  assurance  given  by  the  magicians,  that  the 
armies  of  Sheygya  should  prove  invulnerable  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  invaders.  These  wizards  supplied  the  men 
with  heaps  of  consecrated  dust,  the  sprinkling  of  which  on 
their  persons  was  to  produce  the  desired  effect  ;  and  hence 
they  advanced  against  the  Egyptian  line  rather  in  the  atti- 
tude of  dancing  than  of  fighting,  with  countenances  express- 
ive of  the  utmost  confidence  and  derision.*  But  being  so 
miserably  deceived  by  the  charms  in  which  they  had  been 
taught  to  put  their  trust,  they  inflicted  a  dreadful  vengeance 
on  the  authors  of  them  ;  for  their  first  act  after  the  battle 
was  to  put  to  death  the  whole  race  of  necromancers,  and 
even  to  destroy  the  village  where  they  dwelt. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  the  pasha  had  not  one  man  killed 
in  this  action,  and  only  one  officer  and  sixteen  men  wounded; 
and  these,  with  scarcely  any  exception,  in  the  back, 
the  natural  consequence  of  their  manner  of  fighting.  They 
discharge  all  their  firearms,  and  then  retire  into  the  rear  to 
reload,  while  the  second  and  succeeding  ranks  are  firing  ; 
when  loaded  they  advance  again,  and  therefore,  after  the 
first  round  the  whole  is  a  scene  of  confusion.  The  Sheygya 
left  six  hundred  men  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  they  were 
allowed  to  remain  unburied  wThere  they  fell.  Nor  did  Melek 
Shoous  and  his  cavalry  discontinue  their  flight  till  they 
reached  the  territory  of  Shendy,  leaving  their  numerous  cas- 
tles, dependent  villages,  and  a  rich  beautiful  country,  in  the 
hands  of  the  conqueror. 

Ishmael,  it  is  said,  exerted  himself  to  save  the  flying 
enemy,  and  succeeded  in  preserving  some  of  the  infantry, 
chiefly  Nubians  ;  being  inhabitants  of  that  part  of  Dongola 
which  was  tributary  to  the  Sheygyans,  and  attached  to  their 
army  perhaps  more  by  force  than  from  inclination.  What- 
ever truth  there  may  be  in  this  statement,  it  is  admitted  by 
every  historian  of  his  campaign  that  he  conducted  himself 
with  great  genei-osity  towards  the  daughter  of  the  Melek 
Zibarra,  who  fell  into  his  hands  either  in  the  field  or  while 
attempting  to  escape  from  her  father's  residence  after  the 
defeat.  At  all  events  his  treatment  of  this  barbarian  prin- 
cess was  very  noble  ;  for  when  presented  to  him,  though 
said  to  be  young  and  beautiful,  instead  of  availing  himself 

*  Life  and  Adventures  of  Giovanni  Finati  vol.  ii.  p.  374. 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  133 

of  the  rights  of  conquest,  he  ordered  her  to  be  richly 
dressed,  and  a  camel  provided  for  her,  and  that  she  should 
be  conducted  back  immediately  to  her  parent.  The  latter, 
upon  the  first  sight  of  her  Egyptian  ornaments,  turned  away 
his  face  and  asked  if  she  had  submitted  to  be  dishonoured  ; 
but  when  she  told  him  the  truth,  he  embraced  her,  and 
seemed  disposed  to  make  no  further  resistance  to  the  young 
victor,  who  had  so  wisely  respected  the  domestic  virtues.*" 

Resistance  was  soon  subdued  by  the  superior  arms  and 
discipline  of  the  Turkish  army.  The  cannon-shot,  and  more 
especially  the  destructive  effects  of  the  shells,  taught  the 
brave  Sheygyans  that  courage  alone  could  net  save  them 
from  the  bondage  with  which  they  were  threatened.  Yet 
even  in  this  case,  as  Mr.  Waddington  remarks,  their 
terrors  were  derived  from  their  superstition.  A  shell 
was  thrown  into  one  of  the  castles,  where  it  rolled  and 
bounded  from  side  to  side,  as  if  endowed  with  the  fac- 
ulty of  self-motion  ;  and  the  natives  collecting  around  it, 
were  much  amused  with  its  appearance  until  it  burst  and 
wounded  several  of  them.  Then  they  fled,  exclaiming 
that  the  "  spirits  of  hell  were  come  against  them,  and  were 
too  strong  for  them."  To  the  last  they  had  no  fear  of  man 
or  his  inventions  ;  but,  astounded  by  the  power  and  novelty 
of  the  means  employed  to  destroy  them,  they  came  to  the 
hopeless  conclusion,  that  a  supernatural  agency  of  the  most 
malignant  kind  had  conspired  with  their  mortal  foes  to 
complete  their  subjection. 

Cailliaud,  in  describing  the  conflict  to  which  we  now 
allude,  maintains  that  the  barbarians  were  drunk.  Some 
of  them,  says  he,  threw  themselves  on  the  weapons  of  the 
enemy,  holding  in  their  hand  a  vessel  full  of  an  intoxicating 
liquor,  and  appeared  as  joyful  as  if  employed  at  a  feast. 
Others  cast  dust  at  the  heads  of  the  Turks,  as  a  mark  of 
their  contempt  ;  while  a  third  party  saluted  them  as  breth- 
ren and  friends. t  Perhaps  the  dust  mentioned  by  the 
French  traveller  might  be  the  charmed  earth  which  the  wiz- 
ards had  prepared,  as  the  means  of  securing  to  their  coun- 
trymen a  cheap  and  certain  victory  over  their  invaders. 

*  "  When  our  troops  approached  the  casUe  of  Melek  Zibarra,  his 
daughter,  a  girl  of  about  fifteen,  fled  in  such  haste  that  she  dropped  one 
of  her  sandals,  which  I  have  seen.  It  was  a  piece  of  workmanship 
as  well  wrought  as  any  thing  of  the  kind  could  be  even  in  Europe." — 
Narrative,  p;  85.  1  Voyage  a  Merue,  tome  U  p:  58. 

M 


134  CIVIL    HISTORY    OF 

The  fury  and  avarice  of  the  conquerors  occasioned  many 
atrocities  which,  it  is  maintained,  their  commander  could 
not  altogether  prevent ;  though  the  great  number  of  ears 
and  even  of  heads  sent  to  Cairo  indicate  that  his  consent 
had  accompanied  some  of  the  worst  scenes  which  disgraced 
his  triumph.  Usage  alone,  says  Cailliaud,  could  excuse 
the  pasha  for  having  encouraged  so  many  frightful  mutila- 
tions. Those  shameful  trophies  were  despatched  by  him  to 
his  father  as  a  testimony  of  his  brilliant  success. 

Giovanni  Finati,  who,  with  the  artist  Linant  employed 
by  Mr.  Bankes,  followed  the  path  of  the  Egyptian  army, 
confirms  beyond  all  question  the  remarks  of  Cailliaud.  The 
exasperation  of  the  soldiers  at  having  been  so  gallantly  op- 
posed, and  their  greediness  of  plunder  or  reward,  drove  them 
to  horrible  excesses  and  outrages  ;  so  that  it  was  no  wonder 
that  a  single  victory  did  not  suffice,  and  that  a  high-spirited 
people  continued  to  do  all  they  could  against  their  oppress- 
ors. The  signs  of  this,  he  adds,  were  but  two  visible  ; 
"  for  half  the  natives  whom  we  met,  many  even  of  the 
women,  were  deprived  of  one  or  both  of  their  ears,  others 
mutilated  in  their  limbs  ;  while  bones  and  carcasses,  and 
hovels  that  had  been  burnt,  were  everywhere  to  be  seen  by  the 
way."  The  persecution  seemed,  in  fact,  to  have  been  car- 
ried almost  to  extermination.  The  whole  district  was  laid 
waste,  and  thereby  reduced,  at  least  for  the  time,  to  a  sullen 
obedience. 

Before  we  leave  the  people  of  Sheygya  we  may  repeat 
the  tribute  which  has  usually  been  bestowed  on  their  hos- 
pitality and  literature ;  qualities  hardly  to  be  expected 
among  tribes  whose  doom  it  was  to  live  by  their  swords. 
Burckhardt  assures  us  that  they  are  renowned  for  their  kind- 
ness to  strangers,  and  that  the  person  of  their  guest  or  com- 
panion is  held  sacred.  If  a  traveller  possesses  a  friend 
among  them,  and  has  been  plundered  on  the  road,  his  prop- 
erty will  be  recovered,  even  if  it  has  been  taken  by  the  king 
himself.  They  all  speak  Arabic  exclusively,  and  many  of 
them  write  and  read  it.  Their  learned  men  are  held  in  great 
respect  by  them  ;  they  have  schools,  wherein  all  the  sciences 
are  taught  which  form  the  course  of  Mohammedan  study, 
mathematics  and  astronomy  excepted.  "  I  have,"  says  he, 
"  seen  books  copied  at  Merawe,  written  in  as  fine  a  hand 
as  that  of  the  scribes  of  Cairo,"     They  are  also  famous  for 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  135 

various  kinds  of  manufactures  especially  for  a  superior  de- 
scription of  mat,  in  which  they  surpass  all  the  natives  of 
Mahass  and  Dongola.* 

We  have  elsewhere  delineated  the  march  of  the  pasha 
from  Shendy  to-the  tenth  degree  of  latitude  ;  describing  his 
reception  at  Sennaar,  and  the  various  success  which  at- 
tended his  exertions  against  the  natives  of  the  hill-country 
beyond  El  Querebyn  and  Fazoglo.  After  passing  Dar- 
Sheygya  he  met  no  enemy  who  could  oppose  him  in  regular 
combat,  although  his  progress  *was  occasionally  checked  by 
the  mountaineers  in  the  east  and  south,  whose  rocks  he  in- 
vaded in  search  of  gold. 

In  regard  to  Ibrahim,  his  brother,  who  commanded  the 
army  whose  object  it  was  to  explore  the  unknown  regions 
on  the  banks  of  the  Bahr  el  Abiad,  we  are  not  in  possession 
of  any  more  minute  details  than  were  communicated  to 
Cailliaud  by  M.  Asphar,  a  Coptic  surgeon  who  had  accom- 
panied the  expedition.  We  learn  generally,  that  after  a 
march  of  fourteen  days  from  the  Bahr  el  Azrek,  or  Nile  of 
Abyssinia,  the  troops  under  Toussoun  Bey  arrived  at  Dinka, 
a  town  situated  on  the  White  River,  about  the  eleventh  de- 
gree of  latitude,  or  nearly  in  the  parallel  of  Fazoglo.  As  to 
the  manners  and  usages  of  the  inhabitants,  we  find  not  that 
they  differ  materially  from  those  of  the  tribes  farther  to  the 
north.  The  stream  is  described  as  being  very  broad  at  that 
point ;  but  its  precise  dimensions  are  not  stated  by  the  phy- 
sician, whose  curiosity  did  not  extend  to  such  matters. 
Upon  inquiry,  the  natives  assured  the  Turks  that  the  ne- 
groes who  possess  the  countries  beyond  them  are  cannibals, 
and  employ  poisoned  arrows  in  battle  ;  and  that  on  the 
western  side  of  the  river  there  are  other  negroes,  called 
Shillooks,  not  less  barbarous.  Having  spent  eight  days  at 
the  town  already  mentioned,  the  troops  returned  by  the  way 
of  EI  Querebyn  to  Sennaar,  which  they  reached  some  time 
before  the  division  under  Ishmael  had  concluded  their  cam- 
paign in  the  neighbourhood  of  Singueh. 

The  long  absence  of  the  army,  added  to  a  succession  of 
unfavourable  rumours  that  were  circulated  by  the  disaf- 
fected, had  disposed  some  of  the  chiefs  near  the  junction  of 
the  rivers  to  make  an  attempt  to  throw  off  the  yoke  which 

*Burckhardt's,  Travels,  p.  65, 


136  CIVIL   HISTORY    OF 

had  been  so  violently  imposed.  Certain  examples  of  se- 
verity, deemed  necessary  by  the  pasha,  contributed  also  not  a 
little  to  inflame  their  minds.  But  the  following  occurrence 
accelerated  the  rupture,  and  paved  the  way  for  the  melan- 
choly fate  which  terminated  the  career  of  Ishmael.  With 
the  view  of  raising  a  supply  of  provisions  or  money,  he  in- 
sisted on  Nimir,  the  tributary  melek  of  Shendy,  to  meet  his 
cousin,  who  ruled  on  the  opposite  bank,  with  whom  he  had 
been  some  time  at  variance,  and  into  whose  company  he  had 
made  a  vow  never  to  enter.  This  excuse,  however,  was 
treated  with  disdain,  and  he  .was  commanded  to  attend. 
The  melek  reluctantly  complied  ;  but  when  a  large  demand 
was  made  on  his  territory,  he  boldly  observed  that  the  whole 
country  was  ruined,  and  could  not  possibly  meet  such  a 
claim.  The  pasha  checked  him  with  great  haughtiness, 
and  even  struck  him  across  the  face  with  his  pipe.  A  com- 
mon interest  and  offended  pride  now  reconciled  the  cousins, 
and  made  them  act  in  concert  with  equal  promptitude  and 
secrecy.  Ishmael's  quarters  were  at  Shendy,  though  this 
fatal  conference  had  taken  place  on  the  opposite  bank,  where 
his  retinue  and  guard  were  very  small,  occupying  merely  a 
few  huts  and  tents.  There  was  indeed  a  detachment  of 
troops  at  no  great  distance  ;  but  it  was  agreed  between  the 
confederates  that,  while  Nimir  should  attack  the  pasha  and 
his  personal  attendants,  the  other  should  fall  upon  the  sol- 
diers, or  at  least  keep  them  in  check.  That  very  night, 
accordingly,  each  of  them  contrived  to  collect  a  considerable 
force  ;  and  no  sooner  did  the  melek  hear  the  firing  begin  at 
Mettamat,  where  the  advanced  guard  was  stationed,  than 
he  slew  the  sentinels  who  surrounded  the  cottage  where 
their  commander  slept,  and  immediately  heaped  up  a  pile 
of  straw  and  brush-wood,  which  he  set  on  fire.  Alarmed  by 
the  dreadful  situation  in  which  he  found  himself  placed,  Ish- 
mael sprang  to  his  feet,  and  seizing  a  sabre  endeavoured  to 
force  his  way  through  the  flames  ;  but  Nimir,  who  longed 
for  the  opportunity  of  wiping  away  the  stain  which  had 
been  inflicted  on  his  honour,  was  ready  to  strike  the  blow, 
and  slew  him  with  his  own  hand.  Surprise  on  the  one  part, 
and  ferocity  on  the  other,  afforded  little  time  for  resistance  ; 
and  in  a  brief  space,  accordingly,  not  a  single  Egyptian 
soldier  was  left  alive  in  Shendy  or  the  neighbouring  districts. 
Cailliaud,  who  had  already  left  the  country,  was  supplied 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  137 

■with  some  details  relative  to  this  tragical  event.  He  tells 
us  that  the  Pasha's  medical  officer,  a  native  of  Greece,  was 
spared  at  the  first,  but  only  that  he  might  afterward  be 
subjected  to  a  more  cruel  death.  The  barbarians  began  by- 
extracting  all  his  teeth,  which  they  divided  among  the 
several  chiefs  of  the  province,  who  sewed  them  carefully  in 
little  leather  bags  to  wear  on  their  persons  as  a  species  of 
amulet ;  for,  in  the  opinion  of  these  superstitious  people, 
the  possessor  of  a  physician's  tooth  has  no  malady  to  fear. 
Having  completed  this  cruel  operation,  they  deprived  their 
victim  of  life. 

The  ruler  of  Egypt,  informed  of  the  unhappy  destiny  which 
had  befallen  his  favourite  Ishmael,  gave  orders  to  Mohammed 
Bey,  his  daughter's  husband,  who  was  then  serving  in 
Kordofan,  to  inflict  on  the  people  of  Shendy  a  suitable 
punishment  for  their  treachery.  Nimir  and  his  accom- 
plices had  indeed  taken  flight,  and  sought  refuge  in  Darfur  ; 
but  the  great  body  of  his  subjects,  who  were  necessarily 
ignorant  of  the  plot,  could  not  remove  themselves  from  the 
fury  of  the  avenger.  Nor  did  the  son-in-law  of  Ali,  who 
was  noted  for  cruelty  of  disposition,  fail  to  discharge  with 
the  utmost  punctuality  the  office  which  was  intrusted  to  him. 
Passing  the  White  River,  he  marched  by  Sennaar  into 
Shendy,  where  he  found  innumerable, victims  to  sacrifice  to 
the  manes  of  the  murdered  general.  His  excessive  rigour, 
however,  produced  the  effect  which  always  arises  from  a 
similar  policy.  An  insurrection  took  place  in  all  the  con- 
quered districts,  from  Singueh  to  the  Lower  Nubia,  which 
not  only  weakened  the  influence  of  Eg}7pt  among  the  native 
rulers,  but  has  created  additional  obstacles  either  to  a  suc- 
cessful negotiation  or  to  a  permanent  conquest.* 

Mohammed  Ali  has  not  since  made  any  further  attempt 
on  the  countries  beyond  the  Cataracts.  His  expectations 
as  to  gold  and  precious  stones  were  entirely  disappointed  ; 
while  in  regard  to  slaves,  whether  for  domestic  purposes  or 
for  recruits  to  his  black  regiments,  he  finds  that  there  is 
greater  economy  in  dealing  with  the  traders  from  Kordofan 
and  Darfur,  than  in  sending  an  expedition  of  ten  thousand 
soldiers  into  their  perilous  deserts.  The  affairs  of  Greece 
and  of  Syria  have  now  more  importance  in  his  eyes  ;  and 

*  Cailliaud,  tome  iii.  p.  337 ;  Giovanni  Finati,  vol.  ii.  p.  418. 
M2 


138  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

Ibrahim,  whose  health  gave  way  under  the  parching  sun  and 
pestilential  exhalations  of  Sennaar,  has  since  distinguished 
his  military  talents  in  the  fields  of  the  Morea,  under  the 
walls  of  the  celebrated  Ptolemais,  and  on  the  plains  of 
Damascus. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Architectural  Monuments  of  Nubia  and  Abyssinia. 

Rule  for  determining  the  Antiquity  and  Filiation  of  ancient  States— Con- 
nexion between  Egypt,  Ethiopia,  and  India — Excavated  Temples — 
Girshe,  Seboua,  and  Derr— Different  Orders  of  Architecture— Temple 
of  Osiris  at  Ebsamboul — Labours  of  Belzoni,  Irby,  and  Mangles— Mag- 
nificence of  Interior,  and  Description  of  the  various  Halls— Dis 
coveries  of  Mr.  Bankes — Visit  of  Delturdar  Bey — Sir  F.  Henniker — 
Temple  of  Isis— Cave  of  Elephanta— Temples  of  Salsette  and  Ellora— 
Comparison  with  those  of  Ethiopia — Temples  of  Soleb,  of  Kalatshe, 
and  Dondour— Opinion  of  Gau— Mixed  Greek  and  Egyptian  Forms — 
Gebel  el  Berkal  —Principal  Temple  there  — Pyramids —El  Belial- 
Progress  in  the  Arts— Succession  of  Buildings — Meroe"  -  Bruce,  Strabo, 
Cailliaud — Assour — Pyramids  —  M.  Riippel — Naga  and  Messoura — 
Large  Temple  — Opinion  of  M.  Heereu  — Of  Cailliaud —  Ruins  at 
Mandeyr  and  Kely-^-Conslitufion  of  Government  at  Meroe— Its  Ter- 
mination—Remains at  Ax um  -Obelisk — Errors  of  Bruce — Corrections 
by  Salt— Axum  Inscription— Adulis — Inscription— Cosmas—  Reference 
to  Dr.  Vincent— Luxor  and  Kamac — Sacred  Ship— Bond  of  Religion 
— Lineage  of  the  Gods— Hebrew  Tribes— Decline  of  Learning  in 
Ethiopia. 

In  the  absence  of  written  records,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  the  arts,  more  especially  those  which  are  connected  with 
religion,  are  our  best  guide  in  tracing  the  affiliation  and 
relative  antiquity  of  early  nations.  Various  circumstances, 
it  is  acknowledged,  constantly  interfere  to  diminish  the  ac- 
curacy of  all  such  calculations  as  have  no  other  basis,  and 
to  weaken  our  confidence  in  the  most  cautious  inferences  to 
which  we  are  led  by  the  researches  of  the  mere  archaeologist. 
This  ambiguity  applies  in  a  particular  manner  to  the  de- 
ductions of  authors  respecting  the  period  during  which  any 
class  of  monuments  may  be  supposed  to  have  been  erected. 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  139 

But  it  will  not  be  denied,  at  the  same  time,  that  wherever 
we  find  a  striking  similarity  in  the  works,  the  habits,  the 
opinions,  and  the  taste  of  ancient  communities,  we  may 
safely  admit  the  conclusion  that  there  must  have  been  some 
intercourse  between  them. 

Proceeding  on  this  broad  principle,  every  one  who  has 
examined  the  remains  of  Eastern  kingdoms  has  been  struck 
with  the  conviction  that  the  people  of  Egypt,  of  Nubia,  and 
of  India  have  derived  their  notions  of  religious  architecture 
from  the  same  source.  In  all  the  three  countries  are  beheld 
similar  excavations  in  the  living  rock,  carried  to  an  immense 
extent,  and  decorated  with  colossal  figures  ;  huge  masses  of 
building  raised  above  ground,  and  displaying  a  profusion  of 
statuary  and  carving  ;  and  also  those  monolithic  shrines,  or 
chambers  cut  out  in  a  single  stone,  which  seem  to  defy  all 
the  mechanical  powers  that  modern  invention  has  supplied 
to  the  arts.  That  the  land  of  the  Pharaohs  was  indebted  to 
Ethiopia  for  the  rudiments,  and  perhaps  even  for  the  finished 
patterns,  of  architectural  skill,  is  no  longer  questioned  by 
any  writer  whose  studies  have  qualified  him  to  form  a 
judgment.  Gau,  whose  splendid  work  on  Nubia  has  ac- 
complished every  thing  which  the  antiquary  could  desire, 
hesitates  not  to  maintain  as  one  of  his  first  principles,  that 
the  country  just  named  was  the  cradle  of  Egyptian  archi- 
tecture, and  that  its  monuments  embrace  the  whole  period 
during  which  this  art  flourished  in  the  latter.  In  other 
words,  he  states  that  all  the  architecture  of  Egypt  has  its 
types  in  the  buildings  of  Nubia,  from  the  first  rude  effort 
to  cut  a  temple  in  the  rock  to  the  construction  of  those  de- 
tached edifices  which  were  afterward  erected  under  the 
government  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans.* 

When  we  consider  the  troglodyte  habits  of  the  natives  in 
all  hot  climates,  the  eagerness  with  which,  by  retiring  into 
caverns,  they  shun  the  alternate  plagues  of  the  solar  beams 
and  the  drenching  rain,  we  shall  not  be  surprised  to  learn 
that  they  prepared,  in  similars  recesses,  a  dwelling  for  their 
gods,  and  a  convenient  asylum  for  the  rites  of  their  religion. 
At  a  later  period,  when  they  began  to  enjoy  the  blessings 
of  security  and  wealth,  and  had  opened  their  minds  to  the 
sentiments  of  taste,  they  appear  to  have  added  to  their  ex- 

*  Gau's  Nubia,  Preface.    British  Museum,  p.  130. 


140  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

cavated  temples  the  ornament  of  a  portico,  a  propylon,  and 
sometimes  even  to  have  hewn  down  the  face  of  the  moun- 
tain itself  into  the  form  of  a  splendid  building.  The  progress 
of  a  corresponding  refinement  has  been  traced  both  in  India 
and  Nubia.  We  may  distinguish,  says  Gau,  in  the  archi- 
tectural history  of  this  period  three  great  epochs  ;  the  first 
comprehends  the  temples  cut  in  the  sides  of  hills  ;  the  second 
those  which  are  detached  from  the  rock-cut  chambers,  but 
retain  the  colossal  masses  of  the  primitive  type  ;  and  the  third 
embraces  the  small  edifices  of  Maharraga,  Gartaas,  Dondour, 
and  several  structures  in  Egypt. 

In  laying  before  our  readers  some  account  of  the  monu- 
ments, which  continue  to  perpetuate  the  genius  and  power 
of  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  the  Upper  Nile,  we  shall  follow 
the  line  of  research  suggested  by  the  distinguished  author  to 
whom  we  have  just  referred,  and  describe  them  according  to 
the  simplicity  of  their  formation,  which,  under  the  light  they 
are  now  contemplated,  is  equivalent  to  their  comparative  age. 

We  may  however  remark  in  the  outset,  that  although 
Gau,  as  a  professional  writer,  has  the  merit  of  reducing  to 
scientific  principles  the  distinguishing  features  of  the  several 
orders  of  building,  the  notion  of  measuring  their  relative 
antiquity  by  a  reference  to  the  simplicity  of  their  structure 
had  suggested  itself  to  other  authors  on  more  general  grounds. 
Waddington,  for  example,  discovered  at  Gebel  el  Berkal  two 
temples,  which,  from  being  excavated  in  the  solid  rock  and 
having  only  their  exterior  chambers  formed  of  masonry, 
resemble  those  of  Girshe,  Seboua,  and  Derr.  The  smaller 
of  the  two  has  six  halls  or  apartments,  five  of  which  are 
cut  in  the  body  of  the  mountain  ;  while  the  other,  which 
constitutes  the  entrance,  and  is  thirty-six  feet  square,  stands 
on  an  artificial  stone  foundation,  by  means  of  which  it  is 
elevated  to  the  height  of  the  rock  wherein  the  former  are 
hollowed  out.  For  the  dimensions  of  the  temple  and  of  its 
subordinate  parts  we  refer  to  the  original  work,  where  they 
appear  to  be  given  with  much  accuracy.  It  is  necessary 
however  to  observe,  that  near  the  adytum,  or  sacred  shrine, 
there  are  figures  of  Jupiter  Ammon  and  of  Horus.  There 
are  vestiges  of  hieroglyphics,  too,  in  all  the  chambers.  On 
the  whole,  the  learned  author  concludes,  from  the  plainness 
of  the  masonry,  from  the  rudeness  and  decay  of  the  re- 
maining sculptures,  and  from  the  raggedness  and  decompo- 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  141 

sition  of  the  walls,  though  they  had  been  sheltered  probably 
for  ages  by  the  solid  rock  from  the  sun  and  wind,  that  this 
is  older  than  any'  of  the  temples  of  Egypt  or  even  of  Xubia.* 

Burckhardt  visited  the  ruined  structure  at  Seboua  ;  be- 
fore which,  he  tells  us,  is  a  propylon  similar  to  that  of  Gorne 
at  Thebes.  The  pronaos  has  five  columns  without  capitals 
on  each  of  its  longest  sides  :  in  front  of  each,  and  joined  to 
it,  is  a  colossal  figure  (like  those  at  Gorne)  sixteen  feet  in 
height,  having  the  arms  crossed  upon  the  breast,  with  the 
flail  in  one  hand  and  the  crosier  in  the  other.  Opposite  to 
the  entrance  there  lies  on  the  ground  a  huge  statue,  the  head 
and  bust  of  which  are  buried  in  the  sand  :  it  probably  stood 
on  the  side  of  the  gate,  like  the  colossi  at  Luxor  ;  it  is  a 
male  figure,  and  in  the  same  attitude  as  those  on  the  facade 
of  the  temple  of  Isis  at  Ebsamboul.  In  front  of  the  propylon, 
and  about  thirty  yards  distant  from  it,  are  two  statues  ten 
feet  in  height,  and  seven  paces  from  each  other  ;  their  faces 
are  towardsthe  river,  and  they  are  attached  by  the  back  to  a 
stone  pillar  of  equal  elevation ;  they  are  rudely  executed, 
proportion  being  so  little  observed  that  the  ears  are  half  the 
length  of  the  head  ;  they  both  wear  the  high  bonnet,  and 
represent  unbearded  males.  An  avenue  of  sphinxes  leads 
from  the  bank  to  the  temple  ;  but  the  greater  part  of  them 
are  now  buried.  Four  remain  by  the  side  of  the  two  last- 
mentioned  statues,  differing  from  each  other  in  shape  and 
size,  but  all  having  the  bodies  of  lions  with  the  heads  of 
young  men,  and  the  usual  narrow  beard  under  the  chin. 
"  The  whole  fabric  appears  to  be  of  the  remotest  antiquity, 
and  to  have  been  imitated  by  the  more  modern  architects 
of  Egypt ;  for  the  propylon  and  the  pronaos,  with  its  colossal 
figures,  are  found  at  Gorne  on  a  larger  scale ;  the  two 
statues  in  advance  of  the  propylon  are  the  miniatures  of 
those  in  front  of  the  Memnonium  ;  and  the  sphinxes  are 
seen  at  Karnac."t 

The  sculptures,  as  well  from  the  friable  nature  of  the 
stone  as  from  their  great  age,  are  much  obliterated  ;  but  a 
Briareus  with  two  bodies  may  still  be  distinguished  on  the 
outside  wall  of  the  propylon.  A  similar  remark  applies  to 
the  rock-cut  temple  of  Derr,  on  which  the  same  repre- 
sentation is  seen  ;  the  pattern,  as  it  would  appear,  for  those 

*  Journal  of  a  Visit  to  some  Parts  of  Ethiopia,  p.  169.      t  Travels,  p.  90. 


142  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

more  magnificent  labours  of  the  statuary  which  adorn  the 
ruins  at  Luxor  and  Edfou.  It  is  deserving  of  notice,  how- 
ever, that  the  excavated  fane  at  Derr  has  no  construction  in 
front  like  that  of  Gebel  el  Berkal  ;  no  outer  chambers,  or 
pronaos,  or  propylon,  formed  of  stone  and  mortar.  It  shows, 
says  Gau,  in  its  marks  of  age,  and  in  the  imperfection  of  its 
execution,  traces  of  the  highest  antiquity,  and  of  the  infancy 
of  the  art.  This  infant  state  is  easily  recognised  in  all  parts 
of  the  architecture,  and  in  the  remnants  of  the  primitive 
sculpture ;  as,  for  example,  the  statues  with  their  barks  to 
the  pillars  of  the  pronaos,  and  that  in  the  niche  of  the  sanc- 
tuary, which  is  a  portion  of  the  solid  rock.  The  bas-reliefs 
of  the  interior  walls  show,  on  the  contrary,  the  progress 
which  the  arts  made  in  the  interval  between  the  commence- 
ment and  the  completion  of  this  excavation.  In  fact,  it 
appears  that  this,  which  is  certainly  one  of  the  oldest  monu- 
ments in  Lower  Nubia,  contains  in  itself  a  -history  of  the 
gradual  improvement  of  architecture  and  sculpture  as  ap- 
plied to  sacred  places.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  the  procession 
of  the  ship  is  exhibited  on  the  walls  of  the  adytum  ;  an 
emblem  to  which  we  shall  hereafter  call  the  attention  of  the 
reader,  as  being  connected  at  once  with  the  ancient  current 
of  population,  andwith  the  origin  of  many  of  the  religious 
opinions  that  were  common  to  Egypt  and  Ethiopia. 

The  temple  of  Girshe  evidently  belongs  to  the  more 
simple  order  of  structures,  and  indicates  a  very  imperfect 
condition  of  all  the  arts  connected  with  architecture.  There 
is  a  portico,  consisting  of  five  square  columns  on  each  side, 
cut  out  of  the  rock,  with  a  row  of  circular  ones  in  front  con- 
structed of  -  several  blocks,  and  which  originally  supported 
an  entablature.  Of  these  only  two  remain.  Before  each 
of  the  square-sided  columns  stands  a  colossal  statue  of 
sandstone  about  eighteen  feet  high,  holding  a  flail  in  one 
hand,  the  other  hanging  down.  They  all  represent  male 
figures,  with  the  narrow  beard  under  the  chin,  and  the  high 
sphinx-cap  on  the  head  ;  the  shoulders  being  covered  with 
hieroglyphical  inscriptions.  On  both  sides  of  the  portico  is 
an  open  alley  hewn  in  the  rock,  from  whence,  perhaps,  the 
materials  of  the  first  colonnade  were  taken.  The  pronaos, 
which  is  entered  from  the  portico  by  a  large  gate,  is  eighteen 
paces  square,  and  contains  two  rows,  three  in  each,  of  im- 
mense columns  or  rather  props,  for  they  are  without  capi- 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  143 

tals,  measuring  five  feet  by  seven  in  the  plan.  In  front  of 
each  of  these  is  a  colossal  figure  more  than  twenty  feet  in 
height,  representing  the  usual  juvenile  character,  with  the 
corn  measure  or  bonnet  on  his  head,  the  hands  crossed  upon 
the  breast,  and  holding  the  flail  and  crosier.  All  those 
statues  are  rudely  executed  ;  the  outlines  of  their  bodies 
being  very  incorrect,  and  their  legs  mere  round  blocks  ;  yet 
they  had  a  striking  effect  in  this  comparatively  small  apart- 
ment. "  Indeed,"  says  Burckhardt,  "  accustomed  as  I  had 
been  to  the  grandeur  of  Egyptian  temples,  of  which  I  had 
examined  so  many  incomparable  specimens,  I  was  neverthe- 
less struck  with  admiration  on  entering  this  gloomy  pronaos, 
and  beholding  these  immense  figures  standing  in  silence 
before  me.  They  immediately  recalled  to  my  memory  the 
drawings  I  had  seen  of  the  caves  near  Surat  and  other 
Indian  excavated  temples,  which  in  many  respects  bear  a 
strong  resemblance  to  those  of  Nubia.  On  the  side-walls 
of  the  pronaos  are  four  recesses  or  niches,  in  each  of  which 
are  three  statues  of  the  natural  size,  representing  the  dif- 
ferent symbolical  male  and  female  figures  which  are  seen 
on  the  walls  of  the  temples  of  Egypt.  The  centre  figures 
are  generally  clothed  in  a  long  dress,  while  the  others  are 
naked.  All  these,  as  well  as  the  colossi,  are  covered  with  a 
thick  coat  of  stucco,  and  had  once  been  painted  ;  they  must 
then  have  had  a  splendid  appearance.  A  door  leads  from 
the  pronaos  into  the  cella,  in  the  middle  of  which  are  two 
massy  pillars,  and  on  either  side  a  small  apartment,  which 
was  probably  a  place  of  sepulture  ;  in  the  floor  of  each  are 
high  stone  benches  which  may  have  served  for  supporting 
mummies,  or  perhaps  as  tables  for  embalming  the  bodies 
deposited  in  the  temple.  Of  the  sculpture  and  hieroglyphics 
with  which  the  walls  of  this  temple  were  covered  very  little 
is  now  discernible,  the  sandstone  being  of  a  very  friable 
nature  and  soon  falling  to  decay.  Added  to  this,  the  walls 
are  quite  black  with  smoke  from  the  fires  kindled  by  the 
neighbouring  shepherds,  who  often  pass  the  night  in  the 
temple  with  their  cattle  ;  enough,  however,  still  remains  to 
show  that  the  sculptures  are  rudely  executed.  The  colossal 
figures  are  in  good  preservation,  particularly  those  of  the 
pronaos."* 

*  Burckhardt's  Travels,  p.  99,  100. 


144  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

We  need  hardly  observe  that  this  is  the  same  place  which 
by  other  travellers  is  called  Guerfeh  Hassan,  or  Gwersh 
Hassan,  and  is  described  with  much  minuteness  in  several 
of  their  works.  Sir  F.  Henniker  says  of  it, — "Here  is  an 
excavation  in  the  mountain,  on  entering  into  which  the 
astonishment  and  delight  that  seizes  your  mind  is  equal  to 
that  which  would  be  felt  on  entering  a  room  twice  as  high 
as  rooms  generally  are,  and  in  which  stand  six  giants  three 
times  as  tall  as  a  tall  man.  They  are  drawn  up  in  line,  three 
on  either  side,  but  do  not  improve  upon  examination  ;.  for 
they  are  so  ill-proportioned,  that  they  appear  to  have  been 
made  by  a  stonecutter's  journeyman  rather  than  by  a  sculp- 
tor ;  the  ankle  is  thirty-three  inches  in  circumference,  but 
the  foot  is  only  a  yard  long,  and  from  the  sole  to  the  knee  it 
is  scarcely  more."* 

But  of  all  the  temples  belonging  to  the  class  of  excava- 
tions that  of  Ebsamboul  is  by  far  the  most  striking.  The 
desert  in  the  course  of  centuries  had  so  completely  over- 
whelmed it  with  sand,  that  nothing  more  appeared  to  the 
eye  of  the  traveller  through  Nubia  than  the  bust  of  one  of  the 
colossal  figures  which  were  placed  in  front  of  the  entrance. 
The  dimensions  of  this  statue  were,  however,  so  great  as  to 
excite  a  deep  feeling  of  curiosity  among  all  who  examined 
it.  Finati,  who  was  in  the  service  of  Mr.  Bankes,  relates, 
that  when  he  stood  upon  a  level  with  the  necklace  he  could 
hardly  reach  the  beard,  while  one  of  the  sailors  climbed  and 
sat  across  upon  the  ear  ;  yet  the  countenance,  he  adds,  seen 
at  its  proper  distance,  appeared  very  beautiful. 

At  a  later  date  a  party,  consisting  of  Mr.  Belzoni,  Captains 
Irby  and  Mangles,  Giovanni  himself,  who  attended  in 
character  of  janizary,  and  two.  servants,  undertook  to  re- 
move the  sand,  so  far  at  least  as  to  ascertain  whether  there 
were  a  door  or  any  other  access  to  the  interior.  They  at 
first  relied  upon  the  assistance  of  the  natives,  who  willingly 
entered  into  terms  ;  but  the  increasing  fatigue,  the  hopeless 
nature  of  the  undertaking,  and  perhaps  other  motives  which 
were  never  very  distinctly  understood,  induced  them  to 
break  their  engagement.  If  our  travellers  neglected  the 
means  of  attracting  and  conciliating  the  people,  they  proved 
at  least  that  they  knew  admirably  well   how  to  make   shift 

*  Notes  during  a  Visit,  p.  154. 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  145 

without  them  ;  for  no  sooner  was  ail  external  aid  withdrawn, 
than  with  a  zeal  and  spirit,  and  a  perseverance  not  to  be  ex- 
ceeded, the}'  undertook  at  a  very  hot  season  of  the  year,  and 
with  a  scanty  supply  of  necessaries,  to  complete  the  labour 
in  their  own  persons.  They  continued  working  day  after 
day  in  the  sand,  from  sunrise  till  after  dark,  relieving  each 
other  in  turn  every  four  hours,  and  stripping  to  the  skin  for 
the  exertion.  Some  of  the  number,  says  Finati,  and  espe- 
cially the  two  captains,  did  each  with  -his  own  hands  the 
work  often  Nubians.* 

Alluding  to  the  scanty  supply  of  food  amid  their  unremit- 
ting toil,  he  remarks,  that  "  one  of  the  expedients  resorted 
to  for  driving  us  to  desist  or  forcing  us  to  terms  was  to 
starve  us  out  of  the  place,  and  in  consequence  little  or 
nothing  was  brought  thither  for  sale  ;  it  was  very  rare  that 
we  had  any  meat  during  all  our  slay,  and  no  milk  or  butter 
latterly,  so  that  we  were  frequently  reduced  to  a  meal  or 
two  of  dhoura  corn  boiled  in  water,  with  occasionally  a  glass 
of  date-brandy  after  it." 

After  a  continuance  of  these  exertions  and  privations  up- 
wards of  three  weeks,  a  corner  of  the  doorway  at  length 
became  visible.  At  that  very  moment,  when  fresh  clamours 
and  new  disputes  were  going  on  with  the  natives,  Finati, 
being  the  slenderest  of  the  party,  crept  through  into  the  in- 
terior, and  was  thus  perhaps,  as  he  himself  remarks,  the  first 
that  entered  it  for  a  thousand  years.  Unlike  all  the  other 
grottoes  in  Egypt  and  Nubia,  its  atmosphere,  instead  of  pre- 
senting'a  refreshing  coolness,  was  a  hot  and  damp  vapour, 
resembling  that  of  a  Turkish  bath,  and  so  penetrating,  that 
paper  soon  became  as  much  saturated  with  moisture  as  if  it 
had  been  dropped  into  the  river.  It  was,  however,  a  con- 
soling as  well  as  an  unexpected  circumstance,  that  the  run 
of  sand  extended  but  a  very  little  inside  the  door,  while  the 
remainder  of  the  chambers  were  all  clear  and  unencumbered. 

The  first  impression  convinced  them  that  it  was  evidently 
a  very  large  place  ;  but  their  astonishment  increased  when 
they  found  it  to  be  one  of  the  most  magnificent  of  temples, 
enriched  with  beautiful  intaglios,  paintings,  and  colossal 
figures.  The  pronaos  is  fifty-seven  feet  long  and  fifty-two 
wide,  supported  by  two  rows  of  square  pillars  in  a  straight 

*  Life  and  Adventures,  vol,  il.  p.  201. 

N 


146  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

line  from  the  front  to  the  door  of  the  sekos.  Each  pillar  has 
a  figure  not  unlike  those  of  Medinet  Abou,  finely  executed, 
and  very  little  injured  by  time.  The  tops  of  their  turbans 
reach  the  ceiling,  which  is  about  thirty  feet  high  ;  the  pillars 
are  five  feet  and  a  half  square.  Both  these  and  the  walls 
are  covered  with  splendid  carvings,  the  style  of  which  is 
somewhat  superior,  or  at  least  bolder,  than  that  of  any  in 
Egypt,  not  only  in  the  workmanship,  but  also  in  the  sub- 
jects. They  exhibit  battles,  storming  of  castles,  triumphs 
over  enemies,  and  numerous  sacrifices.  Some  of  the 
colours  are  much  injured  by  the  close  and  heated  atmo- 
sphere, the  temperature  of  which  was  so  great  that  the  ther- 
mometer must  have  risen  to  a  hundred  and  thirty  degrees. 

The  second  hall  is  about  twenty-two  feet  high,  thirty- 
seven  wide,  and  twenty-five  and  a  half  long.  It  contains 
four  pillars  more  than  three  feet  square  ;  and  the  walls  are 
also  covered  with  fine  hieroglyphics  in  pretty  good  preserva- 
tion. Beyond  this  is  a  shorter  chamber,  but  of  the  same 
width,  in  which  is  the  entrance  into  the  sanctuary.  At  each 
end  of  it  is  a  door  leading  into  smaller  apartments  in  the 
same  direction  with  the  adytum,  each  eight  feel  by  seven. 
The  sanctuary  itself  is  twenty-three  feet  long  and  twelve 
feet  broad.  It  presents  a  pedestal  in  the  centre,  and  at  the 
end  four  colossal  figures  in  a  sitting  posture  ;  all  in  good 
order,  not  having  been  mutilated  by  any  violent  means. 

On  the  right  side  of  the  great  hall,  entering  into  the 
temple,  are  two  doors  at  a  short  distance  from  each  other, 
which  lead  into  two  separate  rooms  ;  the  first  thirty-nine 
feet  in  length  and  eleven  and  a  half  wide  ;  the  other  forty- 
eight  feet  and  a  half  by  thirteen  feet  three  inches.  At  the 
end  of  the  former  are  several  unfinished  hieroglyphics,  of 
which  some,  though  merely  sketched,  give  fine  ideas  of  their 
manner  of  drawing.  At  the  lateral  corners  of  the  entrance 
from  the  first  into  the  second  chamber  are  doors,  each  of 
which  conducts  into  an  apartment  twenty-two  feet  and  a 
half  long  and  ten  feet  broad.  These  rooms  open  into  others, 
forty-three  feet  in  length  and  eleven  feet  wide. 

But  the  most  remarkable  subjects  in  this  temple  are  a 
group  of  captive  Ethiopians  in  the  western  corner  ;  the 
hero  killing  a  man  with  his  spear,  another  lying  slain 
under  his  feet  ;  and  the  storming  of  a  castle  in  the  vicinity. 
The  outside  or  external  front  is  truly  magnificent.     It  is  a 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  147 

hundred  and  seventeen  feet  wide  and  eighty-six  feet  high ; 
the  space  from  the  top  of  the  cornice  to  the  top  of  the  door 
being  sixty-six  feet  six  inches,  and  the  dimensions  of  the 
door  itself  twenty  feet.  There  are  four  enormous  colossal 
figures  in  the  attitude  of  sitting  ;  the  largest  indeed  in 
Nubia  or  Egypt,  except  the  great  sphinx  at  the  Pyramids, 
to  which  they  approach  in  the  proportion  of  nearly  two- 
thirds.  From  the  shoulder  to  the  elbow  they  measure  fif- 
teen feet  six  inches  ;  the  ears  three  feet  six  inches  ;  the 
face  seven  feet ;  the  beard  five  feet  six  inches :  across  the 
shoulders  twenty-five  feet  four  inches  :  their  height  is  about 
fifty-one  feet,  not  including  the  caps,  which  are  about  four- 
teen. On  the  top  of  the  door  is  a  statue  of  Osiris  twenty 
feet  in  length,  with  two  colossal  hieroglyphic  figures,  one 
on  each  side,  looking  towards  the  god.  The  temple  has, 
besides  a  cornice  with  hieroglyphics,  a  torus  and  a  frieze 
under  it ;  the  first  is  six  feet  broad,  the  last  four  feet. 
Above  the  cornice  is  a  row  of  sitting  monkeys,  (wenty-one 
in  number,  which  are  eight  feet  high  and  six  across  the 
shoulders.  Belzoni  remarks  that  it  must  have  had  a  fine 
landing-place,  now  buried  under  the  sand  ;  adding,  that  it  is 
the  best  and  largest  temple  excavated  in  the  solid  rock  in 
Nubia  between  the  first  and  second  cataracts,  or  even  in 
Egypt.* 

Finati  states  that  the  floors  of  all  the  apartments  were 
covered  over  with  a  very  black  and  fine  dust,  which,  ob- 
serving its  resemblance  to  the  remains  of  decayed  lintels  in 
most  of  the  doorways,  he  conjectured  to  be  pulverized 
wood.  He  observes  also,  that  in  the  great  hall  there  were 
eight  colossal  statues  standing,  four  on  a  side,  which  seemed 
to  bear  the  ceiling  on  their  heads.  There  were  found  in  it 
two  detached  figures  of  lions  with  faces  of  birds,  which 
were  dragged  out  for  the  purpose  of  being  transmitted  to 
Mr.  Salt,  with  some  other  loose  pieces  of  statuary  collected 
in  the  several  chambers ;  some  of  these  to  the  right  and 
left  being  less  finely  painted  than  the  principal  one,  and 
appearing  to  have  been  devoted  to  sepulchral  uses.  The 
labour  of  taking  plans  and  measurements,  and  some  views 
as  well  as  sketches  from  historical  subjects  delineated  on 
the  walls,  occupied  Mr.  Beechey  a  few  days  ;  after  which 

*  Belzoni's  Narrative,  vol.  i.  p.  330. 


148  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

the  party,  who  still  found  the  utmost  difficulty  in  obtaining 
provisions,  descended  the  Nile.* 

At  a  subsequent  period  Mr.  Bankes  visited  Ebsamboul ; 
on  which  occasion,  says  his  faithful  janizary,  was  achieved 
a  still  greater  labour,  being  no  less  than  the  uncovering  of 
one  of  the  four  colossal  sitting  figures  down  to  the  very 
feet ;  for  in  the  excavation  which  took  place  under  the 
auspices  of  Belzoni,  the  disinterring  of  the  statues  was  not 
accomplished  lower  than  the  waist,  the  doorway  in  the 
centre  being  then  the  sole  aim  and  object.  For  this  new 
purpose,  therefore,  the  number  of  men  employed  was  very 
great,  and  almost  three  weeks  were  devoted  to  it.  When 
the  work  was  finished  the  effect  was  unusually  striking, 
from  the  complete  preservation  in  which  every  part  of  this 
enormous  statue  was  found  ;  and  attendant  figures,  also 
larger  than  life,  were  brought  into  view,  one  between  the 
ieet,  and  one  at  each  extremity  of  the  chair,  A  few  letters 
scratched  on  the  surface  of  the  legs  had,  from  the  antiquity 
which  he  was  disposed  to  ascribe  to  their  form,  excited  Mr. 
Bankes's  curiosity  so  much,  that,  judging  it  likely  that  the 
limbs  of  the_  colossus  which  was  nearest  to  the  door  would 
furnish  the  best  examples,  he  undertook  to  pursue  the 
inquiry  farther. 

But  to  accomplish  this  object  it  was  necessary  so  far  to 
undo  what  had  been  done,  that  the  sand  was  rolled  down 
again  on  much  of  that  statue  which  had  been  uncovered,  in 
order  to  lay  bare  what  was  wanting  of  the  adjoining  figure  ; 
the  distance  from  the  river  being  too  great  to  get  rid  of  the 
dust  altogether  without  a  greater  expenditure  of  time  and 
labour  than  he  could  afford.  Within  three  or  four  days,  not- 
withstanding, a  large  and  long  inscription  began  to  make 
its  appearance,  and  to  show  itself  above  the  surface  by  de- 
grees ;  yet  it  lay  so  deep,  and  the  position  was  so  awkward 
for  opening  it,  that  it  was  a  work  of  difficulty  and  contri- 
vance to  obtain  the  last  line,  which  was  only  at  length 
brought  about  by  consolidating  the  sand  with  immense  quan- 
tities of  water  poured  upon  it.  The  discovery,  however, 
which  delighted  all  who  were  concerned  in  making  it,  was 
considered  an  ample  recompense  for  the  toil.f 

"  Life  and  Adventures,  vol.  ii.  p. 208. 

t  The  inscription,  Mr.  Bankes  informs  us,  relates  to  the  king  Psam- 
meticus.  and  is  certainly  among  the  very  earliest  extant  in  the  Greek 
language. 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  149 

But  as  soon  as  the  writing  was  copied,  the  inferior  part 
of  the  statue  was  again  covered  by  the  sand,  which  became 
dry  and  ran  down.  The  next  task  was  to  clear  the  fourth 
colossal  head, — which  had  never  before  emerged  above  the 
surface, — for  the  sake  of  making  a  general  drawing  of  the 
whole  ;  and  the  exterior  was  thus  left  greatly  disencumbered 
for  travellers  who  might  come  after,  as  the  level  of  the  drift 
was  lowered  many  feet  throughout  its  whole  extent,  espe- 
cially where  it  encroaches  with  the  greatest  weight  upon 
the  front.  The  inside  of  the  temple,  meanwhile,  was  lighted 
up  every  day,  and  almost  all  day  long,  with  from  twenty  to 
fifty  small  wax  candles  fixed  upon  clusters  of  palm-branches, 
which,  being  attached  to  upright  poles,  spread  like  the  arms 
of  a  chandelien  more  than  half-way  to  the  ceiling.  This 
enabled  Mr.  Bankes  and  the  other  draughtsmen  to  copy  all 
the  paintings  in  detail  as  they  stood,  almost  naked,  upon 
their  ladders.* 

While  the  party  were  so  busied  within  and  without,  it 
happened  that  the  Defturdar  Bey,  son-in-law  of  Mohammed 
Ali,  and  governor  of  the  upper  country,  came  to  investigate 
on  the  spot  how  far  the  second  cataract  was  practicable  for 
boats,  preparatory  to  the  expedition  against  Dongola  and 
Sennaar,  then  secretly  in  contemplation.  He  stopped,  in 
passing,  to  pay  his  compliments  to  Mr.  Bankes,  when  he 
was  induced  to  creep  into  the  temple.  He  was  much  as- 
tonished to  find  so  many  lights  burning,  and  so  many  hands 
employed  in  such  an  atmosphere,  for  purposes  which  he 
could  not  comprehend,  and  which  it  was  in  vain  to  endeavour 
to  explain  to  him,  for  he  always  returned  to  the  question, 
"  What  treasures  have  they  found  ]"t 

It  is  rather  unpleasant  to  reflect,  that  the  labour  bestowed 
at  Ebsamboul  was  not  attended  with  any  permanent  effects  ; 
for  the  winds  of  the  desert,  and  the  natural  lubricity  of 
sand,  soon  rendered  the  approach  to  the  temple  nearly  as 
difficult  as  before.  When  Sir  F.  Henniker  visited  that 
country,  about  two  years  afterward,  the  doorway  was  cov- 
ered up,  and  the  natives  informed  him  that  it  would  require 
the  services  of  thirty  men  for  twelve  days  to  effect  an  en- 
trance.    "  To  prove  that  they  are  not  to  be  believed,"  says 

*  Life  and  Adventures  of  Giovanni  Finati,  vcl.  ii.  p.  314. 
t  Ibid  O  317 

N2 


150  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

he,  "  I  forced  in  a  pole  ;  round  this  I  wound  a  sheet,  and 
having  spread  another  on  the  surface  of  the  sand  to  prevent 
it  from  flowing  down  upon  us,  we  succeeded  after  seven 
hours'  exertion  in  constructing  a  kind  of  wind-sail  or  chim- 
ney. By  means  of  this  I  entered,  and  immediately  beheld 
eight  majestic  statues,  whose  size  when  compared  with  that 
of  man,  and  still  more  magnified  by  the  dimness  that  sur- 
rounds them,  calls  upon  me  to  corroborate  the  reports  in 
favour  of  this  temple  above  all  others.  Ebsamboul  is  the  ne 
plus  ultra  of  Egyptian  labour,  and  is  in  itself  an  ample 
recompense  for  my  journey.  There  is  no  temple  of  either 
Dendera,  Thebes,  or  Philse  that  can  be  put  in  competition 
with  it  ;  and  I  am  well  contented  to  finish  my  travels  in 
this  part  with  having  seen  the  noblest  monument  of  anti- 
quity that  is  to  be  found  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile."* 

The  fane  now  described  is  distinguished  as  the  temple  of 
Osiris  ;  for  it  is  well  known  that  there  are  two  at  a  very 
short  distance  from  each  other,  the  smaller  of  which  is 
dedicated  to  Isis,  whose  name  it  usually  bears.  This,  as 
well  as  the  other,  is  entirely  excavated  in  the  sandstone 
rock,  the  front  of  which  has  been  hewn  down,  and  three 
statues  cut  out  of  it  ornament  either  side  of  the  door. 
These  six  gigantic  figures  are  sculptured  in  relief,  standing 
erect,  with  their  arms  hanging  stiffly  down.  Beneath  each 
hand  is  also  an  upright  statue  seven  feet  in  height,  which 
does  not  however  reach  above  the  knees  of  its  principal. 
The  part  of  the  rock  which  has  been  smoothed  for  the  face 
of  the  temple  is  a  hundred  and  eleven  feet  long.  The  de- 
vices begin  on  the  north  side,  with  a  human  figure  extending 
his  right  hand,  armed  with  an  instrument  like  a  sickle,  to- 
wards Osiris,  who  is  seated.  Before  him  is  a  table  of  hiero- 
glyphics well  executed,  probably  expressing  the  object  of 
his  application  to  the  divinity.  The  next  ornament  is  a 
colossal  statue  of  about  thirty  feet,  wrought  in  a  deep  niche 
of  the  precipice  ;  it  is  standing,  and  two  tall  feathers  rise 
up  from  the  middle  of  the  headdress,  with  the  globe  or 
moon  on  each  side.  In  a  projection  of  the  rock,  shaped 
like  a  buttress  and  covered  with  hieroglyphics,  is  a  colossal 
statue  of  Isis  carved  in  high  relief.  The  dress  of  the  head 
is  lofty,  and  enclosed,  as  usual,  between  two  horns  :  the  hair 

*  Notes  during  a  Visit  to  Egypt,  &c.  p.  160. 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.     „  151 

falls  on  each  shoulder  in  a  round  mass  ;  the  left  hand  is 
brought  across  the  breast,  and  holds  something  like  a  mace. 
Then  comes  a  similar  projection  in  the  cliff,  covered  also 
with  hieroglyphics,  followed  by  another  niche,  in  which  is  a 
statue  more  massy  than  either  of  the  other  two,  and  of 
large  dimensions.  The  sides  of  the  door  are  in  like  manner 
crowded  with  hieroglyphics,  over  which  are  seated  Oiiris 
and  the  hawk-headed  deity.  On  each  side  of  the  passage 
in  entering  offerings  are  presented  to  Isis,  who  holds  in  her 
hand  the  lotus-headed  sceptre,  surrounded  with  numerous 
inscriptions  and  emblems.  Near  to  a  prie6t  of  Amnion  sits 
a  most  miserable  palsied  figure,  the  very  victim  of  terror ; 
he  holds  a  feeble  scourge  in  his  hand,  and  is  paiuted  red  ; 
the  other  figures  are  yellow.  Close  to  him  there.is  a  table 
loaded  with  sacred  gifts,  which  are  offered  to  a  hero  or  a 
god,  who  has  his  hand  extended  towards  the  other  in  a 
most  threatening  attitude.  The  six  columns  in  the  middle 
of  the  chamber  are  also  covered  with  hieroglyphics,  and 
representations  of  the  ram-headed,  the  hawk-headed,  the 
ibis-headed  deity,  together  with  the  lion-headed  goddess  or 
Isis,  all  with  the  globe  or  moon  over  them.  The  capitals 
of  the  columns  are  human  heads,  and  are  adorned  with  nu- 
merous hieroglyphics. 

In  the  second  chamber  similar  figures,  inscriptions,  and 
devices  present  themselves.  Much  interesting  sculpture 
also  is  lavished  upon  this  as  well  as  upon  the  third  apartment, 
a  great  part  of  which  is  well  executed  ;  and  in  a  niche  at 
the  upper  end  of  the  latter  is  seated  a  small  statue  of  Nephthe 
the  wife  of  Typhon.* 

This  temple,  which  is  only  a  few  yards  from  the  brink  of 
the  river,  and  about  twenty  feet  above  the  present  level  of 
is  water,  has  been  much  more  completely  examined  than 
the  larger  one,  because  its  approach  is  at  all  times  free  from 
sand.  The  front  is  ninety-one  feet  long;  the  depth  of  the 
excavation,  measured  from  the  door  to  the  extremity  of  the 
adytum,  is  seventy-six  feet.  A  number  of  ovals,  or  car- 
touches, as  they  are  called  by  Champollion,  containing  the 
name  and  prsenomen  of  Harnesses  the  Great,  are  cut  in  sev- 
eral places  of  the  square  border  that  encloses  the  front  of 

*  Travels  along  the  Mediterranean  and  Parts  Adjacent.  By  Rob 
Richardson,  M.D.,  vol.  i.  p.  426. 


152  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

the  temple  like  a  frame,  and  on  the  buttresses  between  the 
colossal  figures.  Gau  remarks,  "  that  this  facade,  though 
cut  in  the  mountain,  displays  very  distinctly  the  general 
character  of  the  great  propyla,  of  which  it  presents  the  ori- 
ginal form  in  bas-relief.  We  easily  recognise  the  outline 
of  each  of  the  two  parts  of  the  propylon  with  the,  doorway 
between  them,  and  the  appendage  of  the  statues,  which  are 
so  cut  out  of  the  rock  as  to  differ  in  no  respect  from  the 
colossi,  which  at  a  later  period  were  placed  in  front  of  the 
propyla.  The  interior  is  in  good  preservation,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  statue  in  the  recess  of  the  sanctuary,  and  it 
is  richly  adorned  with  painted  bas-reliefs.  The  principal 
colour  of  the  figures  is  yellow  ;  the  ceiling  is  blue,  a  fa- 
vourite tint  for  that  purpose  among  the  Egyptians  ;  and  a 
border  of  three  colours  runs  all  round."* 

Every  reader  is  aware  that,  between  the  order  of  religious 
houses  now  delineated  and  a  similar  class  in  India,  the  re- 
semblance is  so  great  as  to  have  suggested  to  many  eastern 
antiquaries  the  notion  of  a  common  origin,  as  well  in  regard 
to  the  mythology  as  the  principles  of  architecture.  Of  all 
the  excavated  temples  in  Hindostan,  that  in  the  island  of 
Elephanta  is  the  best  known  in  this  part  of  the  world, 
having  been  frequently  described  by  European  travellers. 
"  The  entrance  into  it,"  says  Mr.  Erskine,  "  is  by  a  spacious 
front,  supported  by  two  massy  pillars  and  two  pilasters, 
forming  three  openings  under  a  thick  and  steep  rock  over- 
hung by  brushwood  and  wild  shrubs.  The  long  ranges  of 
columns  that  appear  closing  in  perspective  on  every  side  ; 
the  flat  roof  of  solid  rock  that  seems  to  be  prevented  from 
falling  only  by  the  massy  pillars,  whose  capitals  are  pressed 
down  and  flattened,  as  if  by  the  superincumbent  weight ; 
the  darkness  that  obscures  the  interior  of  the  temple,  which 
is  dimly  lighted  only  by  the  entrances  ;  and  the  gloomy  ap- 
pearance of  the  gigantic  stone  figures  ranged  along  the 
wall,  and  hewn,  like  the  whole  temple,  out  of  the  living 
rock,  joined  to  the  strange  uncertainty  that  hangs  over  the 
history  of  the  place, — carry  back  the  mind  to  distant  pe- 
riods, and  impress  it  with  thaf  kind  of  religious  awe  with 
which  the  grander  works  of  ages  of  darkness  are  generally 
contemplated." 

*  Gau's  Nubia,  p.  8. 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  153 

"  The  whole  excavation  consists  of  three  principal  parts  ; 
the  great  temple  itself,  which  is  in  the  centre,  and  two 
smaller  chapels,  one  on  each  side  of  the  great  temple. 
These  two  chapels  do  not  come  forward  into  a  straight  line 
with  the  front  of  the  chief  temple,  are  not  perceived  on  ap- 
proaching the  temple,  and  are  considerably  in  recess,  being 
approached  by  two  narrow  passes  in  the  hill,  one  on  each 
side  of  the  grand  entrance,  but  at  some  distance  from  it. 
After  advancing  to  some  distance  up  these  confined  passes, 
we  find  each  of  them  conduct  to  another  front  of  the  grand 
excavation,  exactly  like  the  principal  front,  which  is  first 
seen  ;  all  the  three  fronts  being  hollowed  out  of  the  solid 
rock,  and  each  consisting  of  two  huge  pillars  with  two 
pilasters.  The  two  side  fronts  are  precisely  opposite  to 
each  other  on  the  east  and  west,  the  grand  entrance  facing 
the  north.  The  two  wings  of  the  temple  are  at  the  upper 
end  of  these  passages,  and  are  close  by  the  grand  excava- 
tion, but  have  no  covered  passage  to  connect  them  with  it. 

"  The  great  temple  is  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet 
and  a  half  long,  measuring  from  the  chief  entrance  to  the 
farthest  end  of  the  cave,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty-three 
feet  broad  from  the  eastern  to  the  western  entrance.  It 
rests  on  twenty-six  pillars  (eight  of  them  now  broken)  and 
sixteen  pilasters  ;  and,  neither  the  floor  nor  the  roof  being 
in  one  plane,  it  varies  in  height  from  seventeen  and  a  half 
to  fifteen  feet.  The  plan  is  regular,  there  being  eight  pillars 
and  pilasters  in  a  line  from  the  northern  entrance  to  the 
southern  entrance  of  the  temple,  and  the  same  number  from 
the  eastern  to  the  western  entrances.  The  pillars,  which 
all  appear  to  run  in  straight  lines  parallel  to  each  other  and 
at  equal  distances,  are  crossed  by  other  ranges  running  at 
right  angles  in  the  opposite  direction  ;  they  are  strong  and 
massy,  of  an  order  remarkably  well  adapted  to  their  situa- 
tion and  the  purpose  which  they  are  to  serve,  and  have  an 
appearance  of  very  considerable  elegance.  They  are  not 
all  of  the  same  form,  but  differ  both  in  their  size  and  orna- 
ments, though  this  difference  also  does  not  at  first  strike 
the  eye. 

"  The  figure  that  faces  the  principal  entrance  is  the  most 
remarkable  in  this  excavation,  and  has  given  rise  to  num- 
berless conjectures  and  theories.  It  is  a  gigantic  bust  rep- 
resenting some  three-headed  being,  or  three  of  the   heads 


154  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

of  some  being  to  whom  the  temple  may  be  supposed  to  be 
dedicated.  One  head  faces  the  spectator,  another  looks  to 
the  right,  the  third  to  the  left ;  a  fourth  maybe  imagined  to 
be  concealed  behind.  It  may  give  some  idea  of  its  bulk  to 
mention,  that  from  the  top  of  the  cap  of  the  middle  figure 
to  the  bottom  of  the  image  is  seventeen  feet  ten  inches, 
while  the  horizontal  curved  line  embracing  the  three  heads 
at  the  height  of  the  eyes  is  twenty-two  feet  nine  inches  in 
length. 

"Travellers  have  entertained  very  different  ideas  of  the 
degree  of  genius  and  art  displayed  in  this  temple,  and  the 
figures  around  it ;  some  are  disposed  to  rate  them  very 
high,  and  speak  in  rapturous  terms  of  the  execution  and 
design  of  several  of  the  compartments.  To  me  it  appears, 
that  while  the  whole  conception  and  plan  of  the  temple  is 
extremely  grand  and  magnificent,  and  while  the  outline  and 
disposition  of  the  several  figures  indicate  great  talent  and 
ingenuity,  the  execution  and  finishing  of  the  figures  in 
general  (though  some  of  them  prove  the  sculptor  to  have 
great  merit)  fall  below  the  original  idea,  and  are  often  very 
defective.  The  figures  have  somewhat  of  rudeness  and 
want  of  finish  ;  the  proportions  are  sometimes  lost,  the  at- 
titudes forced,  and  every  thing  indicates  the  infancy  of  the 
art,  though  a  vigorous  infancy. 

"  Nothing  presents  itself  in  these  excavations  which  can 
lead  to  a  satisfactory  solution  of  the  important  and  curious 
question,  In  what  age  or  by  what  dynasty  was  this  vast 
temple  completed  1  One  fact  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  a 
greater  number  of  magnificent  cave  temples  present  them- 
selves in  a  small  space  on  this  coast  than  are  to  be  met  with 
in  any  other  part  of  India.  The  caves  of  Elephanta,  those 
of  Kenneri,  Amboli,  and  some  others  on  the  island  of  Sal- 
sette,  the  fine  cave  of  Carli,  on  the  road  by  the  Bor  Ghaut 
to  Poonah,  the  still  more  extensive  and  magnificent  ranges 
at  Ellora,  not  to  mention  some  smaller  cave-temples  in  the 
Concan  and  near  the  Adjanta  pass,  are  all  on  Mahratta 
ground,  and  seem  to  show  the  existence  of  some  great  and 
powerful  dynasty,  which  must  have  reigned  many  years 
to  complete  works  of  such  labour  and  extent."*" 

*  Account  of  the  Cave-temple  of   Elephanta,  by  W.  Erskine,  Esq. 
in  Transactions  of  the  Literary  Society  of  Bombay,  vol.  i.  p.  210,  249. 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  155 

We  have  indulged  in  this  copious  extract  from  an  article 
which  is  in  itself  extremely  interesting,  to  enable  the  reader 
to  compare  the  excavated  temple  of  Elephanta  with  those 
of  Ebsamboul.  The  general  plan  is  the  same  in  both, — 
massy  pillars,  huge  figures,  emblematical  devices,  and  mys- 
terious ornaments.  The  serpent  and  the  lotus  tend  still 
further  to  identify  the  ancient  superstitions  to  the  uses  of 
which  those  stupendous  works  were  undertaken.  But  no 
tradition  on  which  we  can  rely  connects  the  spacious  tem- 
ples of  the  Upper  I\"ile  with  those  of  Western  India,  al- 
though there  can  be  little  doubt  that,  in  remote  ages,  there 
was  an  intercourse  more  or  less  regular  between  their  inhab- 
itants. Gau  holds  the  opinion  that  the  monuments  of  Hin- 
dostan  are  later  in  their  origin  than  those  of  Nubia  ;  and 
we  may  remark,  as  in  some  degree  confirmative  of  this  no- 
tion, that  one  of  the  figures  in  the  cave  of  Elephanta  is 
described  by  Mr.  Erskine  as  having  thick  lips,  and  bearing 
in  other  respects  a  resemblance  to  an  African  countenance. 
Conjecture  on  this  subject,  however,  cannot  possibly  lead 
to  any  satisfactory  result,  because  we  do  not  yet  possess 
such  knowledge  relative  tp  the  architecture,  the  sculpture, 
and  mythology  of  the  East  as  would  justify  a  decided  con- 
clusion in  regard  to  their  precise  objects. 

But  the  works  now  mentioned,  as  well  as  those  which 
have  been  found  in  the  neighbouring  island  of  Salsette,  are 
greatly  surpassed  by  the  excavations  of  Ellora  in  the  province 
of  Hydrabad.  Here  we  have  a  granite  mountain  in  the 
form  of  an  amphitheatre,  completely  chiselled  out  from  top 
to  bottom,  and  filled  with  innumerable  temples.  To  describe 
the  galleries  and  columns  which  support  various  chambers 
lying  one  above  another,  the  stairs,  porticoes,  and  bridges 
over  canals,  also  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock,  would  be  im- 
possible. Suffice  it  to  state,  that  the  chief  temple,  called 
Kailasa,  is  entered  under  a  balcony,  after  which  we  come  to 
an  antechamber  138  feet  wide  and  88  long,  with  many  rows 
of  pillars,  and  adjoining  rooms  which  may  have  been 
apartments  for  pilgrims  or  the  dwellings  of  the  priests. 
From  this  chamber  we  pass  through  a  great  portico  and 
over  a  bridge  into  an  immense  hall,  247  feet  long  and  150 
broad,  in  the  middle  of  which  is  the  shrine,  consisting  of  one 
mass  of  rock.  This  monolith  itself  measures  103  feet  long 
and  56  wide,  while  it  rises  to  the  most  surprising  height  of 


]  56  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

100  feet  in  a  pyramidal  form.  It  is  hollowed  out  to  the 
height  of  17  feet,  and  supported  by  four  rows  of  pillars,  with 
colossal  elephants  which  seem  to  bear  the  enormous  mass 
and  give  life  and  animation  to  the  whole.  From  the  roof 
of  this  stupendous  sanctuary,  which  has  a  gallery  of  rock 
round  it,  bridges  lead  to  other  side  arches  which  have  not 
yet  been  explored.  The  whole  mass  besides  is  covered  with 
sculptures.* 

A  more  minute  comparison  of  the  cave-temples  of  India 
with  those  excavated  by  the  ancient  Ethiopians  would  lead  us 
away  from  our  proper  subject.  We  may  venture  to  remark, 
however,  that  there  are  many  points  of  resemblance  between 
the  pagodas  of  the  former  country  and  the  regular  structures 
of  Egypt,  all  the  parts  of  which  are  above  ground.  For 
example,  the  pyramidal  entrance  to  the  one  is  analogous  to 
the  propylon  of  the  other,  while  the  large-pillared  rooms 
which  support  a  roof  of  stone  are  found  frequently  in  the 
edifices  of  both  regions.  Among  the  numerous  divisions  of 
the  cave  at  Ellora,  there  is  an  upper  story  of  the  Dasavatara, 
or  the  temple  of  Vishnu's  incarnations,  the  roof  of  which  is 
supported  by  sixty-four  square-based  pillars,  eight  in  each 
row.  This  chamber  is  about  a  hundred  feet  wide,  and 
somewhat  deeper  ;  and  as  to  general  design  may  be  com- 
pared with  the  excavated  chambers  of  Egypt,  which  are 
supported  by  square  columns.  The  massy  materials,  the 
dark  rooms,  and  the  walls  covered  with  highly-wrought 
sculptures  ;  and  the  tanks  near  the  temple,  with  their  en- 
closures of  stone,  and  the  steps  for  the  pilgrims,  are  also 
equally  characteristic  of  a  pagoda  and  an  Egyptian  temple. 
To  this  we  may  add  the  high  thick  wall,  of  a  rectangular 
form,  carried  all  round  the  sacred  spot.  There  is  a  further 
resemblance  worth  noticing  between  some  of  the  Hindoo 
temples  and  that  of  Phtha  at  Memphis.  The  latter  had  four 
chief  entrances,  or  propyla,  turned  to  the  cardinal  points  of 
the  compass  ;  and  this  is  also  the  case  with  the  pagoda  of 
Chillumbrum,  and  with  another  at  Seringham.  The  first 
of  these,  according  to  Indian  tradition,  is  one  of  the  oldest 
in  their  country  ;  which  opinion  is  confirmed  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  principal  temple  contained  within  the  walls  ; 
but  other  parts,  such  as  the  pyramidal  gateways,  the  highly- 

*  British  Museum,  p.  182. 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  159 

finished  sculptures,  and  the  chain  festoons,  must  be  the  work 
of  a  later  date.  It  seems  probable,  then,  that  this  vast  re- 
ligious edifice  was  the  produce  of  many  ages  ;  each  adding 
something  to  enlarge  and  perfect  the  magnificent  under- 
taking of  former  times. * 

It  is  rather  hazardous,  says  the  author  on  whose  state- 
ments we  now  rely,  to  point  out  minor  resemblances  between 
Ethiopian  and  Hindoo  buildings,  when  the  latter  are  so  im- 
perfectly represented.  But  one  of  Daniel's  views  exhibits 
an  example  of  the  latter  in  the  background,  which  has  a 
very  Egyptian  appearance.  It  is  near  Mahabalipoor. 
There  are  four  pillars  in  front,  the  two  extreme  ones  occu- 
pying the  angles,  and  having  behind  them,  in  a  right  angle 
with  the  first  row,  three  others,  of  which  one  indeed  may  be 
a  pilaster.  Thus  the  front  row.  and  the  side  rows  form  a 
portico,  which  is  covered  over  with  flat  stones,  exactly  in  the 
fashion  of  the  Nile.  In  the. centre  of  the  wall,  at  the  back 
part  of  the  gateway,  there  appears  to  be  ft  door.t 

Leaving  the  rock-temples  both  in  India  and  Nubia,  over 
the  history  and  design  of  which  so  dark  a  cloud  is  still  sus- 
pended, we  return  to  an  examination  of  the  more  perfect  class 
of  structures  ;  the  intermediate  stage,  it  is  probable,  between 
the  excavations  just  mentioned  and  the  magnificent  buildings 
of  Karnac  and  Luxor.  We  have  already  described  the  ruins 
of  Soleb,  which  present  to  the  eye  of  the  artist  so  many 
things  worthy  of  his  admiration,  and  belong,  it  has  been 
justly  concluded,  to  an  advanced  era  in  the  architectural 
history  of  the  Ethiopian  tribes,  f  We  therefore  select  the 
temple  of  Samne,"as  an  additional  specimen  of  the  style 
now  alluded  to,  which  we  have  also  taken  the  further  pains 
to  illustrate  by  means  of  the  annexed  view  from  the  west, 
supplied  by  a  recent  traveller. 

It  is  built,  we  are  told,  of  sandstone,  and  differs  in  its 
shape  from  other  Egyptian  edifices,  though  it  somewhat 
resembles  in  its  plan  the  small  chapel  at  Elephantine.  It 
consists  of  a  principal  building  about  thirty-six  feet  in  length 
and  nine  in  width.  On  each  side  stood  originally  four  small 
pillars,  of  which  two  remain  on  the  one  hand  and  three  on 
the  other;,  one  of  the  former  has  a  polygonal   shaft,  tha 

x  *  British  Museum,  p..lS6.  .  t  Ibid.  p.  187. 

TSee  page  30  of  this  volume. 


160  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

remainder  being  square  ;  they  are  fill  covered  with  sculp 
tures,  and  the  pillars  are  joined  to  the  main  building  by 
blocks  of  stone,  which  serve  as  a  roof  to  the  vestibule.  The 
inner  walls  of  the  apartment  are  adorned  with  hieroglyphics 
and  mystic  representation's  of  the  divine  worship.  On  both 
sides  a  long  ship  is  delineated,  with  Osiris  in  it  ;  and  the 
group  of  two  figures  resting  their  hands  upon  each  other's 
shoulders  is  everywhere  repeated.  The  roof  is  painted 
blue,  and  there  are  some  remains  of  colour  on  several  of  the 
carvings. 

«  Near  the  back-wall,  opposite  the  main  entrance,  a  statue 
about  five  feet  in  length  lies  on  the  floor,  the  head  of  which 
has  been-cut  off;  the  arms  are  crossed"  upon  the  breast, 
while  in  one  hand  is  the  flail,  and  in  the  other  the  instrument 
usually  called  a  crosier.  On  the  outer  wall  Burckhardt  dis- 
tinguished some  figures  of  Mendes,  the  -Jupiter  Amnion  of 
the  Greeks  and  later  Egyptians.  All  the  sculptures  are 
rather  coarsely  executed  ;  and  the  lines  dividing  the  com- 
partments wherein  the  hieroglyphics  are  cut  are  not  straight, 
the  effect  either  of  intention  or  of  great  ignorance  in  the 
first  principles  of  art.  But  it  deserves  notice,  that  the  same 
remark  applies  to  the  architectural  labours'  of  the  Hindoos, 
in  which  there  are  .constant  deviations  from  rectilinear 
position,  -even  in  the  arrangement  of  the  finest  columns. 
Some  of  the  hieroglyphics  on  the  pillars  have  evidently  teen 
left  unfinished,  and  those  which,  are-  completed  do  not 
appear  to  have  proceeded  from  the  hand  of  a  master.  A 
part  of  the  wall,  too,  seems  to  be  of  a  date  different  from  the 
rest,  as  it  is  constructed  of  stones,  at  once  much  larger  and 
better  hewn.  There  must,  in  fact,  have  been  another  similar 
building  near  this  temple,  for  the  capitals  of  many  columns 
are  scattered  about  on  the  ground,  and  there  is  a  large  block 
of  granite  covered  with  hieroglyphics,  surrounded  with  heaps 
of  rubbish.  The  structure  itself  is  enclosed  with  ruined 
edifices,  formed  of  brick,  unquestionably  of  great  antiquity, 
and  covering  the  hill  which  overhangs  the  shore.  It  is 
concluded  that  they  were  places  of  strength,  and  connected 
with  certain  fortifications,  the  remains  of  which  can  still  be 
detected.*    .  .  r 

\n   the   volumes  of  Burckhardt,   Captain  Light,    Legh, 

*  Burckhardt,  Travis  in  Nubia,  p.  75 


NUDIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  161 

Richardson,  Heriniker,  Cailliaud,  and  Waddington,  there  is 
to  be  found  an  ample  description  of  the  ruinous  temples  on 
either  side  of  the  Nile,  from  Sosan  to  Meroe,  occasionally 
accompanied  with  excellent  drawings  and  plans.  But  there 
is  so  much  sameness  in  the  details,  especially  as  to  the 
measurements,  the  number  of  chambers,  the  statues, 
columns,  inscriptions,  and  hieroglyphics,  that  we  refrain  even 
from  an  abridgment  of  their  researches,  which,  in  certain 
cases,  could  not  be  easily  understood  without  the  aid  of  en- 
gravings and  other  architectural  delineations.  We  cannot 
however  omit  the  temple  of  Kalabshe,  which  is  distinguished 
for  a  beautiful  propylon,  represented  in  the  work  of  Captain 
Light  in  the  finest  style  of  art.  The  remains  of  the  building 
are  an  abutment  of  masonry,  that  rises,  above  the  bank  of 
the  river,  at  about  a  hundred  and  eighty  feet  from  the  front, 
to  which  there  is  a  paved  approach.  On  each  side  of  this 
pavement  there  appears  to  have  been  a  low  of  sphinxes,  one 
of  which  is  seen  without  the  head.  At  the  end  of  it  there 
seems  to  have  been  steps  leading  to  a  terrace  thirty-six  feet 
in  breadth,  from  -Which  rises  two  pyramidal  moles  eighteen 
or  twenty  feet  thick,  with  a  gateway  between  them,  forming 
a  facade  of  not  less  than  a  hundred  and  ten  feet.  Inside 
there  is  a  court  of  about  forty  feet,  which  appears  to  have 
had  a  colonnade  joining  the  propylon  with  the-  portico. 
This  last  .consists  of  four  columns,'  attached  for  half  their 
height  to  a  wall,  raised  in  the  centre  to  form  an  entrance. 
The  front  of  it  is  plain,  with  the  exception  of  a  winged 
globe  over  the  gateway.  A  lateral  wall  divides  it  from  a 
suit  of  four  innet  apartments,  within  the  first  of  which  there 
appears  to  have  been  a  colonnade,  as  some  fragments  of 
shafts  and  capitals  still  remain.  The  three  others  are 
covered  with  the  usual  hieroglyphics  and  symbolical  figures, 
the  colouring  in  general  being  still  fresh  and  bright.* 

The  temple  of  Dondour  is  likewise  worthy  of  attention, 
owing  to  the  peculiarities  of  its  style.  The  greater  part  of 
the  enclosure,  according  to  Mr.  Legh,  is  quite  perfect,  and 
the  propylon  also  has  been  but  little  injured.  It  is  obvious, 
at  the  same  time,  that  the  interior  has  never  been  completed. 
There  are  two  columns  which  form  the  entrance  into  the 
body   of  the  building,  and   are   ornamented  with  serpents. 


Light,  p.  64. 
0  2 


m 


1G2  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

The  sekos  consists,  as  usual,  of  three  apartments;  the  first 
measures  eighteen  feet  in  length  and  twenty  in  breadth  ; 
the  eolumns  are  three  feet  in  diameter,  and  about  seventeen 
in  height  to  the. top  of  the  cornice  ;  the  winged  globes  on 
the  architraves  of  the  temple  itself,  as  well  as  of  the  propylon, 
are  supported  in  the  wonted  manner  by  two  snakes.  The 
hieroglyphics  .are  sculptured  in  a  good  style,  showing  the 
common  subjects, — priests,  with  vessels  in  their  hands, 
making  offerings  to  Lsi.s  and  Osiris.  .  Behind  the  ruin  is  a 
small  grotto,  which  may  perhaps  be  attributed  to  the  early 
Christians,  as  there  Was  found  among  the  fragments'  an 
inscription  with  the  characters  A  -[-  SI. 

This  temple  has  been  classed  by  Gap  among  those 
Nubian  structures  .that  belong  to  the  last  of  the  three  epochs 
of  art,  which  he  thinks  he  has  discovered  in  the  ancient 
buildings  on  this  part  of  the  river.  It  is  a  parallelogram,  the 
front  of  which  is  21 J  feet,  and  the  length  43|  ;  a  proportion 
which  may.be  observed  in  some  6f  the  Grecian  structures. 
Part  of  the  wall  that  surrounded  the  whole  is  still  standing, 
and  an  alley  appears  'to  have  led  from  the  gateway  to  the 
river,  where  there  was  probahjy  a  flight  of  steps,  of  which 
the  traces  may  be  distinctly  seen,  in  the  remains  of  some 
temples.  The  sacred  houses  were  of  necessit}'  placed  near 
the  bank  in  Nubia,  for  the  purposes  of  ablution  and  those 
other  religious  ceremonies  in  which*  the  Tjse  of  water  was 
essential  ;  for  there  was  no  room  for  tanks  or  reservoirs  at 
a  distance  from  the  str-eam.  In  Egypt,  on  the"contrary,  we 
often  find  them  considerably  removed  from  the  Nile  ;  but, 
in  this  case  a  tank  was  necessary,  and  the  traces  of  these 
artificial  basins  are  still  so  numerous  as  to  leave  no  ground 
for  doubt  that  every  holy  edifice  was  provided  with  them. 
In  India,  where  we  see  in  institutions  still  existing  so  many 
curious  points  of  resemblance  to  the  ancient  ritual  of  Egypt, 
there  are  often  great  flights  of  steps  leading  down  to  the 
rivers,  forming  a  safe  and  convenient  approachto-the  Ganges, 
where  the  pious  Brarnin,  wl>ile  he  makes  his  ablutions,  at 
once  discharges  a  religious  duty  and  enjoys  a  healthful 
recreation.*  •  _ 

It  is  said,  that  it  is  impossible  not  tp  recognise  in  the  pil- 
lars of  Pondour  the  mixed  .Greek  and  Egyptian  form  'r  and 

*  British  Museum,  p.  K9 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  163 

(he  study  of  it  is  the  more  important,  as  it  will  afford  exact 
ideas  of  the  kind  of  buildings  erected  in  the  valley  of  the 
Nile  at  .different  epochs  in  the  history  of  the  country. 
"Instead  of  taking  every  thing  for  genuine  Egyptian  be- 
cause it  is  in  Egypt  or  Nubia,  we  are  now  enabled,  by  a 
more  accurate  classification  of  the  monuments  and  the  aid 
of  the  inscriptions,  to  rectify  former  incorrect  notions  on  the 
subject,  and  in  fact'ta  make  a  real  and  valuable  addition  to 
the  history  of  civilized  Egypt.  Between  the  rock-cut  tem- 
ples, such  as- those  of  Derr  and  Ebsamboul,  and  the  build- 
ings of  a  later  date,  there  was  an  intermediate  step  that 
ought  to  be  noticed.  The  first  architectural  attempt  in  Nu- 
bia would  probably  be  the  improvement  of  some  hole  in  the 
rock;  or,  even  if  the  country  possessed  no  natural  caves  for 
imitation,  the  mountains  themselves  would  afford  facilities 
for  constructing  a  durable  habitation.  A  farther  step  would 
be,  after  having  got  possession'of  a  hole,  to  extend  the  ex- 
cavation, to  form  several  chambers  separated  by  the  native 
rock,  and  when  a  room  of  larger  dimensions  was  designed, 
to  have  square  pillars  for  the  support  of  the  roof.  In  the 
course  of  time  the  outer, front,  with  the  inner  walls  and 
pillars,  would  receive  decorations,  derived  both  from  the 
imitations  of  the  natural  form  of  the  country  and  the  his- 
torical remembrances  of  the  nation.  But  what  a  prodigious 
period  must  have  elapsed  between  the  rudest  rock-excava  ion, 
such  as  Derr  was  in  its  primitive  state,  aiul  the  highly- 
finished  sculptures, of  the  great  temple  of  Ebsamboul  !"*• 

We  have  already  conducted  the  reader  to  Gebel  el  Berkal, 
where  in  ancient  times ^there  must  have  been  an  establish- 
ment of  priests,  and  not  improbably  an  extensive  town. 
The  name  of  Merawe,  now  bestowed  on  the  district,  has 
very  naturally  suggested  the  notion  that  this  was  the  site  of 
the  celebrated  Meroe  ;  an  opinion  which,  after  considering 
it  at  some  length,  we  haye  not  hesitated  to  pronounce  un- 
tenable. But  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  was  a  place  of 
great  importance  in  a  religious  point  of  view,  as  is  fully 
manifested  by  the  numerous  remains  of  sacred  architecture 
which  still  meet  the  eye  of  the  traveller. 

The  principal  temple  is  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
kmg,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty-nine  in  width  ;  but  it  is,  as 

*  British  Museum,  p.  141. 


164  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

we  are  assured  by  Mr.  Waddington,  so  much  ruined  as  to 
retain  nothing  of  its  ancient  grandeur  and  beauty,  and  even 
to  have  rendered  the  ground-plan,  in  some  places,  extremely 
indistinct.  The  dimensions  of  the  first  chamber  are  147 
feet  by  112.  On  the  right  hand  are  the  fragments  of  four 
pillars,  forming  part  of  a  row,  to  which,  no  doubt,  there  was 
one  corresponding  on  the  opposite  side.  There  are  a  few 
hieroglyphics  still  visible  on  the  wall,  but  those  on  the 
columns  are  entirely  obliterated. 

The  second  chamber,  which  is  not  so  regular  as  the  one 
just  described,  seems  to  have  measured  123  feet  by  103. 
Parts  of  nine  pillars  composing  a  colonnade  may  be  ob-> 
served,  though  there  is  only  one,  24  feet  in  height,  remain- 
ing entire.  The  third  apartment  is  much  less,  being  only 
about  46  feet  square.  It  contains  a  row  of  five  pillars  on 
each  side,  and  between  every  two  of  those  on  the  right  is  a 
sculptured  pedestal  where  statues  have  formerly  stood.  The 
reader  may  remember,  that  there  are  pedestals  similarly 
situated  in  the  second  chamber  of  the  temple  of  Osiris  at 
Ebsamboul,  and  confined  to  the  same  side. 

The  dimensions  of  the  fourth  chamber  are  59£  feet  by  14 
feet  five  inches.  It  contains  a  black  granite  pedestal,  five 
feet  square,  beautifully  sculptured  ;  and  -here,  no  doubt,  was 
raised  the  statue  of  the  god  to  whom  it  was  dedicated,  or  the 
king  whose  memory  it  was  meant  to  perpetuate.  On  the 
left  of  this  hall,  and  separated  from  it  by  two  or  three  little 
cells,  is  a  fifth  chamber,  measuring  forty-eight  feet  three 
inches  by  twenty-four  feet  eight  inches,  and  presenting  a 
larger  though  similar  pedestal,  destined,  of  course,  to  the 
same  purpose  with  the  other.  The  holes  by  which  the  figure 
has  been  joined  to  it  are  still  observable. 

The  sixth  chamber  is  separated  from  the  fourth  by  two 
walls,  with  a  narrow  passage  between  them.  It  is  twenty- 
five  feet  eight  inches  in  length  and  nine  feet  broad,  com- 
municating by  means  of  a  door  with  two  little  rooms  on  the 
right.  A  single  apartment,  36  feet  by  10,  occupies  the  space 
between  the  former  chamber  and  the  exterior  wall  on  its  left. 

In  regard  to  the  structure  at  large,  Mr.  Waddington  states, 
that  of  two  facts  he  is  positively  certain  ;  namely,  that  its 
present  remains  are  the  work  of  very  different  and  probably 
distant  periods  ;  and  that  even  in  the  composition  of  those 
parts  which  belonged  indisputably  to  the  original  building, 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  105 

many  stones  were  employed  which  had  been  taken  from 
some  more  ancient  edifice.  The  discovery  of  a  sculptured 
stone  among  the  mortar  in  the  middle  of  the  thick  outer  wall 
proves  this  point,  while  the  extreme  irregularity  of  the  found- 
ations, and  the  positions  of  some  of  the  columns,  leave  no 
doubt,  he  thinks,  as  to  the  other.  Whether  these  anoma- 
lous parts  have  been  additions,  or  whether  they  were  portions 
of  some  older  temple  left  to  stand,  as  chambers  in  the  larger 
one  erected  on  its  site,  must  now  remain  uncertain.  The 
propyla  are  much  ruined,  and  even  such  sections  of  them  as 
continue  entire  are  rough  and  extremely  decomposed,  re- 
sembling more  nearly  the  front  of  the  temple  of  Seboua  than 
any  other  in  Nubia  or  Egypt. 

Some  lineaments  of  sculptured  figures  may  still- be  traced 
on  the  inside  of  the  second  portal,  though  in  most  inexpli- 
cable confusion.  The  head  of  one  appears  in  the  place 
which  ought  necessarily  to  be  occupied  by  the  feet  of  the 
one  above  it ;  while  legs  and  arms  are  everywhere  distrib- 
uted with  an  equal  disregard  to  nature  ;  but  all  are  so 
extremely  defaced  that,  says.  Mr.  "Waddington,  "  I  had 
rather  believe  my  senses  to  have  been  deceived  than  that 
such  absurdities  have*  been  allowed  to  disgrace  one  of  the 
noblest  buildings  ever  erected."* 

The  peculiar  form  of  Gebel  el  Berkal,  as  Riippel  remarks, 
must  have  fixed  attention  in. all  ages.  From  the  wide  plain 
there  rises  up,  perpendicularly  on  all  sides,  a  mass  of  sand- 
stone nearly  four  hundred  feet  high,  and  about  twenty-five 
minutes'  walk  in  circuit.  The  unusual  shape  of  this  emi- 
nence must  have  become  still  further  an  object  of  curiosity 
from  the  phenomena  with  which  it  is  connected.  The- 
clouds,  attracted  from  every  pointrto  this  isolated  mass,  de- 
scend in  fruitful  showers  ;  and  hence  we  need  hardly  won- 
der if,  in  ancient  times,  it  was  believed  that  the  gods  paid 
visits  to  man,  and  held  communion  with  him  on  this  sacred 
mount.  Temple  arose  after  temple,  and  who  can  say  how 
far  many  a  devotee  journeyed  to  ask  advice  of  the  oracle  li 

The  appearance  of  those  architectural  remains  suggests 
the  notion  of  a  very  remote  antiquity.  It  has  been  re- 
marked, in  regard  to  the  principal  temple,  that  the  traveller 


*  Journal  of  a  Visit  to  some  parts  of  Ethiopia,  p.  164. 
t  Ruppel.  p  66.  quoted  in  British  Museum,  p  160 


166  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

nowhere  observes  any  sculptures  which  had  been  intention- 
ally  erased  or  disfigured  ;  proving,  it  is  imagined,  that  the 
ruins  were  in  their  present  state  when  Christianity  was 
introduced  into  the  country.  The  idols  were  already  broken, 
and  the  ravages  of  time  or  of  war  had  been  so  effectual  that 
they  needed  not  the  hand  of  fanaticism  to  complete  them. 
But  even  in  the  walls  of  that  ancient  fane,  which  had  sunk 
under  the  pressure. of  age  so  many  centuries  ago,  there  are 
found  fragments  of  a  building  still  older  ;'  which  had  decayed 
before  the  other  was  founded,  and  supplied  by  its  fall  ma- 
terials for  the  more  modern  structure. 

The  vicinity  of  Gebel  el  Berkal  is  remarkable  also  for 
pyramids,  which,  though  much  inferior  to  those  of  Egypt, 
had  probably  the  same  object,  and  originated  in  the  same 
views  of  vanity  or  superstition.  They  are  seventeen  in 
number,  the  largest  of  which  has  a  base  of  about  eighty  feet 
square,  but  has  suffered  too  much  from  years  to  enable  the 
most  practised  eye  to  determine  its  other  dimensions. 
Several  of  them  have  had  spacious  vestibules,  or  porticoes, 
adorned  with  elegant  sculptures  and  statues. 

At  El  Belial  too,  a  village  situated  six  or  seven  miles 
higher  up  the  Nile  and  on  the  opposite  bank,  are  many 
structures  of  the  same  description.  There  are  the  remains 
of  nearly  forty,  eleven  of  which  are  larger  than  any  of  the 
perfect  ones  of  Gebel  el  Berkal.  That  which  possesses  the 
greatest  importance  has  a  base  of  a  hundred  arid  fifty  feet 
square,  while  its  height  is  a  hundred  and  four  feet.  It  hag 
been  built  in  stories  ;"  but  is  most  curious  from  its  containing 
within  itself  another  pyramid  of  a  different  age,  stone,  and 
architecture.  This  interior  building,  which  the  other  has 
enclosed  like  a  case,  seems  to  form  about  two-thirds  of  the 
whole  mass  ;  it  is  of  neat  workmanship,  and  composed  of  a 
hard  light-coloured  sandstone,  more  durable  than  that  which, 
after  sheltering  it  for  ages,  has  at  last  decayed  and  fallen  off, 
and  left  it  once  more  exposed  to  the  eyes  of  men.* 

We  have  in  an  earlier  section  of  this  chapter  described 
the  remains  of  the  two  temples  at  Gebel  el  Berkal,  which 
are  partly  excavated  in  the  rock  and  partly  constructed,  like 
those  of  Girshe  and  Seboua.     The  existence  of  such  sacred 


*  Waddington,  p.  17P.    A  drawing  of  the  pyramid  of  El  Belial  forms 
the  vignette  to  the  present  volume.  . 


M'BIA    AiND    ABVSSIMA*  167 

buildings,  it  ha6  been  remarked,  can  only  be  explained  on 
the  supposition  that  they  are  still  older  than  those  in  Nubia  ; 
lor,  when  we  take  all  the  facts  together,  we  can  hardly 
imagine  that  the  Egyptian  style  of  architecture  originated  in 
the  country  just  named,  and  spread  upward  towards  Abys- 
sinia and  downward  to  Thebes  and  Memphis.  In  the  valley 
of  the  Nile,  below  Syene,  a  small  temple  to  Typfron  the  evil 
deity  is  often. found  near  a  larger  one  consecrated  to  a  more 
beneficent  object  ,of  adoration.  For  example,  there  is  a 
tvphonium  near  the  fane  of  Is-is  at  Dendera,  and  one  also 
close  to  the  greater  temple  at  Edfou.  At  Berkal,  in  like  man- 
ner, we  have  the  remains  of  *a  similar  shrine  in  one  of  the 
two  excavated  mansions  already  specified,  or  rather,  per- 
haps, of  a  chapel  jointly  belonging  to  Isis  and  Typhon. 
Eight /of  the  pillars  in  the  court  of  this  temple,  according  to 
Cailliaud,  have  square  capitals  with  the  Isis  head  on  two 
sides,  resembling  in  this  respect  those  at  Dendera;  but  the 
upper  member  of  the  capital  differs  somewhat  from  that  in 
the  latter  place,  while  it  is  exactly  the  same  as  the  one  on 
the  square  pillars  at  Ebsamboul.  The  sculptures  in  the 
adytum  are  executed  m  high  relief,  and  painted  yellow  and 
blue.  On  one  of  the  walls,  among  five  figures  of-  deities, 
Isis  and  Ammon  are  distinctly  recognised. * 

Proceeding  upward  we  arrive  once  more  at  that  mys- 
terious land  which  is  enclosed  at  its  lower  extremity  by  the 
Tacazze  and  the  Bahr  el  Azrek,  and  where,  it  is  supposed, 
are  still  to  be  found  the  relics  of  the  primitive  faith  of  Ethi- 
opia, as  well  as  the  tokens  of  her  earliest  civilization.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  the  most  ancient  traditions  which  have 
reached  us  through  the  medium  of  the  Greek  historians  and 
philosophers,  point  with  equal  steadiness  and  uniformity  to 
a  remote  country  on  the  Nile,  where  the  parents  of  learning 
and  religion  had  their  abode,  and  whence  issued,  at  different 
epochs,  those  benevolent  missionaries  who  carried  the  rudi- 
ments of  knowledge  to  Egypt,  Gree.ce,  the  northern  shores 
of  Africa,  and,  finally,  to  the  barbarous  coast  of  Europe. 
So  far  are  we  able  to  trace  the  vestiges  of  refinement  and 
the  progress  of  the  arts  ;  which,  attracting  our  attention  in 
the  kingdom  of  the  Pharaohs,  carry  us  gradually  towards 
the  south,  till  we  reach  a  people  whose  origin  is  lost  in  the 

British  Museum,  p.  161  ;  Cailliaud,  plate  67  ;  Riippel,  p.  87. 


168  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

obscurity  of  distant  tune,  and  the  names  of  whose  teachers 
have  utterly  perished.  We  indeed  find  marks  of  their  re- 
semblance and  affinity  to  nations  beyond  the  Arabian  Gulf, 
and  even  on  the  borders  of  Hindostan  ;  but  all  our  attempts 
to  identify  these  fiiil  to  attain  success,  because  we  have 
neither  historical  records  nor  the  aid  of  such  other  monu- 
ments as,  on  such  a  subject,  are  necessary  to  command 
belief. 

In  ascending  from  the  boundaries  of  Egypt  to  those  of 
Abyssinia  and  Sennaar,  the  traveller  may  remark  6uch  a 
difference  in  the  style,  as  web1  as  in  the  plan  of  the  buildings, 
as  indicates  not  only  a  certain  progress  in  the  arts,  but  also 
a  peculiarity  in  the  object  contemplated  by  them.  As  we 
formerly  observed,  the  valley  of  the  Nile  above  the  first 
cataract  was  once  covered  on  both  sides  with  towns  or  vil- 
lages, of  which  -Pliny  has  left  us  the  names,  amounting  in 
all  to  about  forty.  In  his  time,  it  is  -true,  they  no  longer 
existed ;  and  lie  informs  ifs  that  they  were  not  destroyed  by 
the  Romans,' but' by  the  earlier- contentions  between  the 
Ethiopians  themselves  and  their  neighbours  the. Egyptians. 
As  Heeren  justly  remarks,  we  have  no  right  to  suppose  that 
these  were  flourishing  cities,  The  g^eat  works  of  architecture 
here  as  well  asVbelow  Syene  were  confined  to  public  edifices  ; 
for  the  Nubian  during  the  day  lived  almost  entirely  in  the 
open  air,  and  his  cabin  was -litlle  more  than  a  resting-place 
for  the  night.  Hence,' it  is  not  surprising  that  towns,  con- 
sisting of  a  mere  assemblage  of  huts,  should  have  so  entirely 
disappeared  as  to  leave  behind  no  trace  of  their  existence. 

But  though  the  dwellings  of  man  have  vanished,  those 
of  the  gods  remain.  The  ruins  of  a  scries  of  temples  on 
both  sides  of  the  river  may  be  distinctly  marked,  .from  Ele- 
phantine to  the  junction  of  the  two  great  branches  which 
compose  its  stream.  The  first  is  the  fane  of  Debode,  twelve 
miles  above  Philse  ;  which  is  followed  at  nearly  the  same 
distance  by  that  of  Kardassy,  which  again  is  succeeded  by 
that  of  Teefa  or  Tafa,  five  miles  farther  south.  Soon  after- 
ward appear  the  two  temples  of  Kalabshe"  ;  one  built  from 
the  ground,  the  other  hewn  in  the  rocks.  At  about  ten 
miles  above  this  point  are  seen  the  relics  of  Dondour,  and 
then  at  a  like'  interval  those  of  Girshe  ;  both  of  which  we 
have  described  at  some  length.  Ten  miles  upward  is  the 
temple  of  Dakke  ;  after  a   similar  space  is  that  of  Maher- 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  169 

raga  ;  and  sixteen,  miles  thence  rise  to  the  view  the  ruins 
of  Seboua,  half  above  ground  and  half  subterranean. 
Thirty  miles  farther  on  stands  the  temple  of  Derr  ;  and 
after  proceeding  about  sixty  miles  the  traveller  beholds  the 
magnificent  excavations  of  Ebsamboul,  with  their  sacred 
carvings  and  colossal  sentinels.  This  is  followed  by  Samne  ; 
but  at  the  cataract  of  Wady  Haifa  the  chain  is  broken,  for 
it  is  not  until  after  a  journey  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
that,  not  far  from  the  island  of  Sai,  a  large  temple  is  seen  ; 
and  then,  thirty  miles  farther  in  the  same  direction,  is  dis- 
covered the  edifice  of  Soleb,  which  Mr.  Burckhardt  considers 
as  the  most  southern  of  the  Egyptian  temples.  The  first 
series  certainly  ends  here,  but  a  new  one  begins  on  the  fron- 
tiers of  Meroe  ;  for  about  two  hundred  miles  farther  along 
the  bank,  near  the  Gebel  el  Berkal,  temples  again  appear, 
accompanied  with  groups  of  pyramids.  Two  hundred  and 
forty  miles  beyond  these  remarkable  ruins  we  reach  the 
point  where  the  Tacazze  or  Astaboras  falls  into  the  Nile  ; 
forming  the  celebrated  island,  as  the  Greeks  were  pleased 
to  describe  it,  to  which  our  attention  is  now  more  immedi- 
ately to  be  directed.* 

The  famous  city  of  Meroe,  according  to  the  report  of  the 
most  intelligent  travellers,  must  have  stood  a  little  below 
the  present  Shendy,  in  lat.  17°  N.,  and  long.  34°  30'  E. 
Bruce  saw  its  ruins  at  a  distance,  concerning  which  he 
speaks  in  the  following  terms  : — "  On  the  20th  of  October, 
in  the  evening,  we  left  Shendy,  and  rested  two  miles  from 
the  town  and  about  a  mile  from  the  river ;  and  next  day, 
the  21st,  we  continued  our  journey.  At  nine  we  alighted 
to  feed  our  camels  under  some  trees,  having  gone  about  ten 
miles.  At  this  place  begins  a  large  island  in  the  Nile,  seve- 
ral miles  long,  full  of  villages,  trees,  and  corn  :  it  is  called 
Kurgos.  Opposite  to  this  is  the  mountain  Gibbainy,  where 
is  the  first  scene  of  ruins  I  have  met  with  since  that  of 
Axum  in  Abyssinia.  We  saw  here  heaps  of  broken  pedes- 
tals, like  those  of  Axum,  plainly  designed  for  the  statues 
of  the  dog  ;  and  some  pieces  of  obelisks,  likewise  with 
hieroglyphics,  almost  totally  obliterated.  The  Arabs  told 
us  that  these  ruins  were  very  extensive,  and  that  many 


*  Heeren's  Historical  Researches,  vol.  i.  p.  349  ;  Hiii.  Hist.  Nat.  lib. 
Ti.  c.  35. 

P 


170  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

pieces  of  statues,  both  of  men  and  animals,  had  been  dug 
up  there.  The  statues  of  the  men  were  mostly  of  black 
stone.  It  is  impossible  to  avoid  risking  a  guess  that  this  is 
the  ancient  city  of  Meroe." 

The  conjecture  of  our  countryman  has  been  established 
by  the  investigations  of  later  travellers  ;  and  we  find  that 
those  remains  of  antiquity,  of  which  he  obtained  a  hasty 
glance,  are  not  confined  to  one  place,  but  are  scattered  over 
a^onsiderable  extent  of  surface.  The  whole  strip  of  land 
from  Shendy  to  Gerri  teems  with  them,  and  must  therefore 
be  regarded  as  a  portion  of  the  classic  ground  of  Ethiopia. 
So  far  as  our  information  extends  at  present,  these  ruins 
may  be  included  in  three  principal  groups,  and  associated 
with  the  names  of  Assour,  Naga,  and  Messoura,  or  Meca- 
oura  as  it  is  written  by  Cailliaud.  The  first  of  these  lies 
to  the  north  of  Shendy,  about  two  miles  from  the  river  ;  the 
others  are  at  the  distance  of  several  leagues  from  the  Nile 
in  a  southerly  direction,  proceeding  from  the  same  point. 
The  monuments  found  here  consist  both  of  temples  and 
pyramids  ;  all  private  dwellings  having  been  long  ago  de- 
stroyed. According  to  Strabo  these  last  were  built  of  only 
split  palm-trees  and  tiles:  the  sand,  however,  is  in  many 
places  so  covered  with  bricks  that  a  town  must  formerly 
have  stood  there.  In  short,  it  is  concluded  that  the  site  of 
the  ancient  Meroe  can  be  no  longer  regarded  as  doubtful. 
It  stood  near  the  present  Assour,  or  between  that  village 
and  Tenetbey,  where  are  still  discovered  the  remains  of  a 
few  temples,  and  of  many  other  edifices  constructed  of 
sandstone  ;  the  whole  extending,  according  to  the  meas- 
urement of  Cailliaud,  to  a  circumference  of  four  thousand 
feet. 

Eastward  of  Assour  is  what  has  been  called  the  great 
churchyard  of  pyramids,  the  existence  of  which  likewise 
tends  to  prove  that  there  was  at  one  period  a  considerable 
city  in  the  neighbourhood.  It  is  impossible  to  behold  the 
number  of  these  monuments  without  astonishment :  eighty 
are  mentioned  in  the  plan  of  Cailliaud  ;  but  the  precise 
amount  cannot  be  ascertained,  as  the  ruins  of  many  are 
indistinct.  They  are  divided  into  three  sections,  one  of 
which  is  due  east  from  the  assumed  situation  of  Meroe, 
while  the  two  others  are  a  league  from  the  river,  one  north 
and  the  other  south.     The  northern  group  is  at  once  the 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  171 

most  extensive  and  best  preserved.  They  certainly  appear 
small  compared  with  the  structures  of  a  similar  kind  in 
Middle  Egypt,  the  height  of  the  largest  not  being  more  than 
eighty  feet;  but  viewed  in  reference  to  number  they  are 
much  more  wonderful. 

Like  those  at  Sakhara,  these  pyramids  are  formed  of 
gTanite  ;  and  hence  the  decay  into  which  they  have  fallen 
must  suggest  a  very  remote  period  as  the  time  when  the 
people,  to  whom  they  owe  their  foundation,  enjoyed  the 
power  and  wealth  which  such  monuments  imply.  The 
larger  class  of  them  have  usually  attached  a  small  building 
in  the  shape  of  a  temple,  finished  in  the  Egyptian  style, 
with  a  propylon  and  door  which  lead  first  to  the  portico  and 
thence  to  the  sanctuary.  It  is  therefore  manifest,  if  the 
real  entrance  is  where  it  is  thus  indicated,  that  it  was  not 
the  intention  of  the  Ethiopian  architects  to  conceal  the 
approach  to  the  repositories  of  mortality, — an  object  which 
wras  accomplished  with  so  much  labour  by  their  successors 
on  the  Lower  Nile.  But  as  none  of  them  have  been  exam- 
ined, it  is  not  known  whether  there  be  any  mummies  or 
sarcophagi  in  the  interior  ;  and,  until  such  an  investigation 
be  completed,  we  must  necessarily  remain  ignorant,  as  well 
of  the.  object  contemplated  by  such  piles  of  masonry,  as  of 
the  many  arts  which  might  be  employed  in  doing  honour  to 
the  great.  Indeed,  according  to  Strabo,  the  Ethiopians  did 
not  embalm  their  dead,  but  buried  them  in  earthen  vessels 
near  the  sanctuary.  The  corners  of  the  pyramids  are 
partly  ornamented,  and  the  walls  of  the  pylones  are  deco- 
rated with  sculpture,  in  some  of  which  the  figures  appear 
to  be  employed  in  making  offerings  for  the  departed ; 
a  representation  which  renders  it  extremely  probable 
that  they  are  the  tombs  of  kings  and  other  distinguished 
persons.*  . 

M.  Heeren  is  of  opinion  that  pyramid  architecture  was 
native  in  Ethiopia  from  the  earliest  ages  ;  and  also  that, 
if  we  compare  this  style  of  building  with  the  similar  one 
adopted  in  Egypt,  we  shall  have  another  proof  of  what 
we  have  elsewhere  attempted  to  establish,  that  what  had 
its  rise  in  the  former  country  was  perfected  in  the  latter,  t 

*  Heeren's  Historical  Researches,  vol.  i.  p.  394 ;  Cailliaud,  Voyage 
a  Meroe,  vol.  iii.  p.  104,  &c. 
t  Historical  Researches  as  above. 


172  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

The  statement  of  Cailliaud  has  been  confirmed  by  the 
narrative  of  M.  Riippel  of  Frankfort,  published  in  a  Conti- 
nental journal,  who  also  mentions  the  existence  of  similar 
groups  of  pyramids  in  Kurgos.  On  the  other  side  of  the 
Nile,  as  he  relates,  his  way  lay  for  fifty-seven  minutes  across 
a  plain  of  slime  or  mud.  Traces  were  visible  of  an  ancient 
canal  running  parallel  to  the  bed  of  the  river,  a  proof  that 
this  territory  was  once  highly  cultivated.  Ten  minutes 
after, — for  in  such  circumstances  distance  is  measured  by 
time, — he  came  to  a  great  mass  of  hewn  and  burnt  stones. 
But  age  had  destroyed  every  thing.  With  difficulty  were 
some  shafts  of  columns  discovered,  whose  capitals  were 
ornamented  with  the  heads  of  animals  ;  v/hence  it  may  be 
inferred  that  they  once  belonged  to  a  temple.  Having 
walked  twelve  minutes  farther  on,  he  observed  a  number  of 
pyramidical  mausolea.  There  were  thirteen,  all  of  hewn 
stone,  forty  feet  in  height,  but  without  an  entrance.  Near 
them  was  a  lion's  head  in  black  granite,  evidently  a  sitting 
sphinx. 

After  thirty  minutes  more,  towards  the  east,  a  group  of 
twenty-one  tombs  appeared  ;  some  of  which  were  pyramids 
with  indented  borders,  while  others  had  pointed  angles  with 
edges  of  plainer  workmanship.  One  of  these  monuments, 
the  most  southerly,  differs  from  all  the  rest,  being  a  pris- 
matic steeple,  standing  upon  a  socle  twenty  feet  square.  It 
has  an  eastern  entrance  leading  to  the  hall  or  gallery,  as  in 
the  sepulchres  at  Assour.  The  walls  are  ornamented  with 
beautiful  sculpture  ;  the  reliefs  being  like  those  of  Meroe, 
but  in  greater  perfection,  and  representing  in  all  cases  the 
apotheosis  of  the  dead.  Here  is  also  one  of  those  pyra- 
mids which  has  a  peculiarity  in  its  approach.  On  both 
sides  of  it  are  two  female  figures  holding  lances  in  fheir 
hands,  and  in  the  act  of  piercing  with  them  a  band  of  pris- 
oners. The  drapery,  grouping,  and  keeping  of  this  piece 
of  sculpture  surpass  every  thing  of  the  kind  that  M.  Riippel 
had  seen  in  Nubia  or  Egypt,  not  excepting  the  magnificent 
temple  of  Dendera. 

A  little  farther  to  the  south-east  a  third  group  was  de- 
scried, consisting  of  nine  pyramids,  the  inner  walls  of 
which  are  diversified  with  carving.  The  reliefs  in  this 
instance  represent  female  figures  only,  while  in  all  others 
they  bear  a  reference  to  the  divinity  of  heroes'  to  whom 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  173 

offerings  or  sacrifices  are  made.  There  are  none  of  these, 
however,  so  lofty  as  in  the  second  assemblage  ;  for  some  of 
the  latter  were  at  least  ninety  feet  in  height,  whereas  not 
one  of  the  nine  exceeded  forty  feet  in  elevation.  They 
were  all  built  of  hewn  stone  without  mortar.* 

The  antiquities  of  Naga  and  Me^soura  are  of  another 
kind,  consisting  chiefly  of  temples.  Those  of  the  former 
place  lie  about  six  leagues  south-east  of  Shendy,  and  nearly 
the  same  distance  from  the  Nile  ;  presenting  a  larger  one 
in  the  centre,  and  various  smaller  ones  scattered  about  in 
every  direction.  The  remains  of  the  principal  edifice  clearly 
prove  to  what  god  it  was  dedicated.  An  avenue  of  statues, 
being  rams  couching  on  pedestals,  leads  into  an  open  portico 
of  ten  columns,  out  of  which,  after  passing  through  a 
similar  gallery,  we  arrive  at  the  pylone.  Adjoining  this  is 
a  colonnade  consisting  of  eight  pillars,  beyond  which  there 
is  a  hall  leading  into  the  sanctuary.  The  doors,  the  col- 
umns, and  the  walls,  are  of  hewn  stone  ;  the  remainder  of 
the  structure  is  composed  of  bricks,  with  a  coating  upon 
which  traces  of  painting  are  still  visible.  The  gateways 
and  pillars  are  sculptured  in  a  style  of  great  beauty,  ex- 
hibiting gods,  kings,  and  queens,  with  attendants,  sacri- 
fices, and  oblations.  The  building  is  of  vast  size,  extending 
in  length  from  the  first  pylone  to  the  opposite  extremity  not 
less  than  eighty  feet.  There  is  also  something  peculiar  in 
the  portico.  The  duplicate  gallery  of  rams,  before  entering 
and  after  passing  it,  is  not  common  elsewhere  ;  and  the 
plan  of  the  whole  seems  indeed  to  show  that  architecture 
had  not  yet  attained  to  that  perfection  which  it  exhibits  in 
the  great  works  of  Egypt. t 

The  western  temple  is  smaller,  but  still  more  richly  em- 
bellished. On  the  pylones  or  gateways  the  same  scenes 
are  represented  as  in  the  pyramids  of  Assour ;  a  male  war- 
rior on  the  one  side,  and  a  female  warrior  on  the  other,  de- 
stroying a  number  of  captives  whom  they  have  bound  toge- 
ther by  the  hair.  They  are  king  and  queen,  as  they  have 
both  the  emblem  of  dominion  on  the  head-dress  ;  over  each, 
is  a  spread  eagle  with  a  globe  ;  and  both  are  magnificently 
dressed.     It  is  evident,  then,  as  M.  Heeren  maintains,  that 

*  See  Writings  by  Edward  Ruppel  from  the  Camp  near  Kurgos,  29th 
Feb.,  1824,  in  Europasiscbe  Blaster,  Oct.  24, 1634;  quoted  by  Heeren. 
t  Historical  Researches,  vol.  i.  p.  399. 
P2 


174  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

these  representations  possess  many  peculiarities,  and  are 
not  purely  Egyptian.  This  remark  does  not  indeed  apply 
to  religious  rites  ;  for  there  appears  nothing  here  in  the 
worship  of  Amnion  and  his  kindred  gods  which  is  essen- 
tially different  from  the  usages  followed  in  the  Thebaid. 
The  real  point  of  distinction  applies  to  the  human  person- 
ages who  are  performing  the  duties  of  piety.  The  queens 
appear  with  the  kings,  and  not  merely  as  presenting  offer- 
ings, but  themselves  as  heroines  and  conquerors, — a  circum- 
stance which  has  not  yet  been  discovered  in  any  of  the 
sculptures  of  Egypt  or  Nubia.  They  must  therefore,  it  is 
presumed,  relate  to  the  rulers,  male  and  female,  of  Meroe, 
and  have  been  intended  to  commemorate  their  deeds. 
Speaking  of  this  very  kingdom,  Strabo  remarks  that,  among 
the  Ethiopians,  "  the  women  are  also  armed ;"  and  we 
know  from  other  sources,  that  ladies  mounted  the  throne 
with  the  same  authority  as  the  other  sex.  Herodotus  men- 
tions Nitocris  among  the  ancient  queens  of  Ethiopia  who 
governed  Egypt ;  and  in  a  carving  already  mentioned,  repre- 
senting the  conquest  of  the  former  country  by  Sesostris, 
there  is  a  female  monarch  with  her  sons  who  appears  before 
him  as  a  captive.  A  long  succession  of  queens  under  the 
title  of  Candace  must  have  reigned  here  ;  and  even  when  at 
length  the  seat  of  the  empire  was  removed  from  Meroe  to 
Napata,  near  Gebel  el  Berkal,  a  sovereign  of  the  same  name 
exercised  the  supreme  power.  It  is  therefore  quite  agree- 
able to  the  usage  of  the  Ethiopians  to  see  a  queen  in  a  war- 
like habit  near  her  consort,  though  it  must  be  admitted  to 
be  peculiar  to  that  celebrated  people. 

The  perfection  to  which  sculpture  had  been  brought  at 
Naga  is  very  striking,  there  being  nothing  in  the  Egyptian 
statues  superior  to  it,  while  in  boldness  of  outline  it  seems 
even  to  surpass  the  finest  specimens  of  the  latter.  These 
colossal  figures,  says  Cailliaud,  which  are  ten  in  number, 
are  remarkable  for  the  richness  of  their  drapery  and  the 
character  of  the  drawing ;  their  feet  and  arms  are  stouter 
than  those  of  Egypt,  yet  they  are  in  the  same  style.  A 
similar  excellence  in  the  reliefs  at  Kurgos  is  extolled  by 
Ruppel.-  Are  we  to  suppose,  asks  M.  Heeren,  that  Ethio- 
pian artists  became  thus  accomplished  ?  Or  do  these  monu- 
ments rather  belong  to  that  brilliant  period  of  the  empire  of 
Meroe, — the   eighth   century  before   our   era, — when    the 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  175 

dynasty  of  Tirhako  and  Sabaco  ruled  over  Upper  Egypt, 
and  to  whom  it  would  be  easy  to  send  artists  from  below 
the  Cataracts,  to  adorn  their  metropolis  and  perpetuate  their 
fame] 

The  third  station,  called  Messoura,  is~  equally  interesting. 
Cailliaud,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  both  for  a  description 
and  a  drawing,  relates,  that  in  an  extensive  valley  in  the 
desert,  eight  hours' journey  from  Shendy  towards  the  south- 
east, and  six  leagues  from  the  Xile,  are  very  considerable 
ruins.  They  consist  of  eight  small  temples,  all  connected 
by  corridors  and  terraces.  It  is  an  immense  edifice,  formed 
by  the  junction  of  a  number  of  chambers,  courts,  and  tem- 
ples, and  is"  surrounded  by  a  double  enclosure.  From  the 
main  structure  in  the  centre  the  passage  to  the  others  is 
through  galleries,  or  along  terraces,  varying  from  three 
hundred  to  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  feet  in  length. 
Each  temple  has  its  particular  chambers  ;  and  all  the  build- 
ings are  placed  in  an  exact  order,  consisting,  as  has  been 
noticed,  of  eight  temples  or  sanctuaries,  forty-one  chambers, 
twenty-four  courts,  three  galleries,  and  fourteen  staircases 
or  flights  of  steps.  These  remains  cover  a  plat  of  ground 
two  thousand  five  hundred  feet,  or  about  half  an  English 
mile  in  circumference. 

But  in  this  immensity  of  ruins  every  thing  is  on  a  smaller 
scale, — the  monuments  as  well  as  the  materials  employed. 
"  The  largest  temple  is  only  fifty-one  feet  long ;  upon  the 
pillars  are  figures  in  the  Egyptian  style  ;  others  in  the  same 
portico  are  fluted  like  the  Grecian  ;  on  the  basis  of  one  I 
thought  I  discovered  the  traces  of  a  zodiac.  Time  and  the 
elements,  which  have  destroyed  the  ancient  Saba,  seem  to 
have  been  willing  to  spare  to  us  the  observatory  of  Meroe  ; 
but  until  the  rubbish  be  cleared  away  a  complete  plan  of  it 
cannot  be  expected.  It  excites  our  wonder  to  find  so  few 
hieroglyphics  in  all  these  ruins  ;  the  six  pillars  which  form 
the  portico  of  the  central  temple  alone  present  a  few  exam- 
ples, for  all  the  other  walls  are  without  sculpture.  Six 
hundred  paces  from  the  ruins  are  the  remains  of  two  other 
small  temples,  as  also  the  outlines  of  a  considerable  tank 
surrounded  by  little  hills,  which  must  have  protected  it  from 
the  sand.  But  here  there  are  not  any  traces  of  a  city,  no 
heaps  of  rubbish,  no  tombs.  If  Meroe  had  stood  in  this 
place,  the  pyramids  would  not  have  been  built  at  the  distance 


176  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

of  two  days'  journey  from  it.  I  believe  that  a  seminary  of 
learning  was  established  on  this  spot ;  the  form  of  the  build- 
ing and  the  architecture  seem  to  prove  it ;  but  the  city  itself 
was  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  sepulchres  where  the  pyra- 
mids are  still  found.* 

The  same  author  informs  us,  that  at  the  distance  of  a 
hundred  yards  in  a  south-easterly  direction  from  the  great 
enclosure  are  some  other  ruins  ;  among  which  are  the  relics 
of  a  small  temple,  resting  on  six  columns,  with  a  regular 
gateway.  The  interior  is  rather  more  than  thirty-six  feet 
in  length.  The  pillars  are  covered  with  sculptured  figures, 
including  some  of  mounted  elephants  led  by  their  guides, — 
a  species  of  picture  which  is  never  seen  in  Egypt.  The 
nature  of  these  representations,  the  form  of  the  materials, 
and  the  very  decayed  condition  of  the  whole  building,  in- 
duced the  traveller  to  conclude  that  this  little  monument  is 
much  more  ancient  than  the  larger  edifices  to  which  our. 
attention  has  just  been  drawn. 

The  details  now  given  derive  some  interest  from  the  con- 
clusion which  Heeren  has  founded  upon  them  in  regard  to 
one  point  in  the  ancient  religious  establishment  of  Ethiopia. 
He  thinks  that  the  constructions  at  Messoura  were  the 
"Oracle  of  Jupiter  Amnion."  "A  mere  glance  at  the 
ground  plan,"  says  he,  "  leads  to  this  idea.  It  is  only  thus 
that  the  singularity  of  the  foundation  can  be  accounted  for; 
that  labyrinth  of  passages  and  courts  which  must  be  wan- 
dered through  before  arriving  at  the  entirely  secret  temple 
in  the  midst.  Scarcely  could  there  be  a  better  introduction 
contrived  for  reaching  the  sanctuary."! 

For  the  support  of  this  opinion  he  relies  chiefly  on  the 
authority  of  Diodorus,  who  relates  that  the  temple  of  Jupiter 
did  not  stand  in  the  city  of'Meroe'  but  at  some  distance  from 
it  in  the  wilderness.  When,  again,  the  ruler  of  that  king- 
dom resolved  to  free  himself  from  the  dominion  of  the  priests, 
he  went,  says  the  same  historian,  with  a  company  of  soldiers 
to  the  retired  or  sequestered  spot  where  the  sanctuary  with 


*  Li,  etudiant  mieux  la  distribution  des  differens  corps  de  batimens 
en  mine  que  j"avais  sous  les  yeux,  je  demeurai  eonvaincu  que  ce  lieu  fat 
jadis  consacre  a  l'enseignement, — on  college  enfin. — Cailliaud,  vol.  iii. 
p.  142.  The  translation  given  in  Heeren's  work  is  extremely  faulty  and 
erroneous.     See  vol.  i.  p.  400-404. 

t  Historical  Researches,  vol.  i.  p.  403 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  177 

the  golden  temple  stood,  and  taking  the  inmates  by  surprise, 
he  put  them  all  to  death.  Nor  is  the  smallness  of  the  edi- 
fice any  objection  to  this  view  of  the  subject ;  for  the  same 
remark  might  be  applied  to  the  Ammonium  in  the  Libyan 
desert.  This  was  probably  intended  merely  for  the  preser- 
vation of  the  sacred  ship,  which  is  understood  to  have  been 
placed  between  the  pillars  of  the  holy  shrine.  Its  situation, 
too,  in  the  waste,  also  follows  the  example  now  adduced, 
and  will  appear  still  less  extraordinary,  when  we  reflect  that 
it  was  constructed  on  one  of  the  great  trading  routes  be- 
tween the  Mediterranean  and  the  Red  Sea.  "  Thus  we 
stand,"  says  he,  "  on  that  remarkable  spot  which  antiquity 
regarded  as  the  cradle  of  the  arts  and  sciences ;  where 
hieroglyphic  writing  was  discovered  ;  where  temples  and 
pyramids  had  already  sprung  up,  while  as  yet  Egypt  re- 
mained entirely  ignorant  of  their  existence."* 

It  does  not  belong  to  us  to  weigh  the  probability  which 
attaches  to  the  opinion  now  stated.  No  one  will  question 
its  ingenuity,  or  deny  that  the  authorities  quoted  from 
ancient  writers  are  suitably  applied.  But,  at  the  same  time, 
we  must  not  forget  the  remarks  made  in  regard  to  the  insti- 
tution at  Messoura  by  M.  Cailliaud,  who  informs  his  readers 
that  the  tradition  of  the  country  is,  that  the  name  of  the 
place  is  derived  from  the  old  fakirs  who  once  inhabited 
those  vast  edifices.  The  figure  of  the  elephants,  too, 
caparisoned  and  mounted,  rather  strengthens  the  belief  that 
the  school  of  the  desert,  if  it  really  was  a  place  of  education, 
was  connected  in  its  origin  or  tenets  with  the  learning  of 
the  remoter  East.  There,  is,  however,  no  irreconcilable 
discrepancy  between  the  two  conclusions  now  examined  ; 
for  nothing  was  more  common  than  to  have  a  seminary  of 
priests  established  near  the  temples  of  the  gods,  and  to 
combine  thereby  in  the  mind  of  the  student  the  practical 
parts  of  divine  worship  with  the  abstract  tenets  of  the  faith 
into  which  he  was  initiated. 

Cailliaud  was  assured  by  certain  Arabs,  as  well  as  by  his 
own  guides,  that  on  the  road  from  Naga,  or  Gibel-Ardan  as 
it  is  sometimes  called,  there  are  several  places  distinguished 
for  magnificent  ruins  covered  with  sculptures.  The  first 
stationfthey  added,  was  at  the  distance  of  two  days' journey, 

•  Historical  Researches,  vol.  i.  p.  406. 


178  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

which  corresponds  perfectly  to  Mandeyr,  the  ancient  capital 
of  the  Arabian  shepherds.  A  day  and  a  half  farther  on,  at 
a  village  called  Kely,  according  to  the  same  authorities, 
there  are  other  remains  which  occupy  a  great  extent  of  sur- 
face. From  thence,  they  add,  there  is  a  road  that  in  the 
same  space  of  time  leads  to  Abou-Ahraz  ;  and  that  near  it 
are  wells  hewn  out  in  the  rock,  which  tradition  carries  back 
to  a. very  remote  antiquity.  Agreeably  to  these  statements, 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  line  of  march  hereby  indicated 
is  the  one  which  passed  from  the  Nile,  in  the  latitude  of 
Naga,  to  Axum  and  the  port  of  Adulis.  But  the  ruins  at 
Mandeyr  and  Kely  have  not  yet  been  inspected  by  any 
modern  traveller. 

We  now  possess  all  the  certainty  which  can  be  attained 
from  the  annals  of  ancient  times,  that  the  city  of  Meroe  was 
situated  a  little  northward  of  the  present  Shendy  ;  and  also 
that  a  number  of  dependent  establishments,  founded  on  the 
basis  of  religion,  were  scattered  over  the  adjoining  desert. 

Before  we  pass  into  Abyssinia,  we  shall  quote  from 
Diodorus  an  account  of  its  constitution  and  government. 
The  form  of  this  celebrated  state,  then,  was  that  which  we 
often  find  in  southern  regions,  more  especially  at  remote 
periods  :  it  was  a  hierarchy,  where  the  power  was  in  the 
hands  of  a  race  or  caste  of  priests,  who  chose  a  king  from 
among  their  own  order.  The  laws  of  the  Ethiopians,  says 
the  author  now  named,  differ  in  many  respects  from  those 
of  other  nations  ;  but  in  none  so  much  as  in  the  nomination 
of  their  kings, — which  is  thus  managed  :  the  priests  select 
some  of  the  most  distinguished  of  their  brethren,  and  upon 
whomsoever  of  these  the  god  fixes,  he  is  carried  in  proces- 
sion, and  forthwith  acknowledged  sovereign  by  the  people  ; 
who  falling  down  adore  him  as  a  divinity,  because  he  is 
placed  over  the  government  by  the  choice  of  Jupiter  Ammon. 
The  person  thus  appointed  immediately  enjoys  all  the  pre- 
rogatives which  are  conceded  to  him  by  the  laws,  and  is 
supplied  with  rules  for  the  direction  of  his  conduct ;  but  he 
can  neither  reward  nor  punish  any  one  beyond  what  the 
usages  of  ancestry  and  the  royal  statutes  allow.  It  is  a 
custom  among  them  to  inflict  upon  no  subject  the  sentence 
of  death,  even  though  he  should  be  legally  found  deserving 
of  that  punishment ;  but  they  send  to  the  malefactor  one  of 
the  servants  of  justice,  who  bears  the  symbol  of  mortality. 


NUBIA    AiSD    ABYSSINIA.  179 

When  the  criminal  sees  this  he  goes  immediately  to  his 
house  and  deprives  himself  of  life.  The  Greek  custom  of 
escaping  punishment  by  fleeing  into  another  country  is  not 
there  permitted.  It  is  said  that  the  mother  of  one  who 
would  have  attempted  flight  strangled  him  with  her  own 
girdle,  in  order  to  save  her  family  from  the  greater  disgrace 
of  having  one  of  its  members  denounced  as  a  fugitive.  But 
the  most  remarkable  of  all  their  institutions  is  that  which 
relates  to  the  death  of  their  king.  The  priests  at  Meroe, 
who  attend  to  the  service  of  the  gods  and  hold  the  highest 
rank,  send  a  messenger  to  him  with  an  order  to  die.  They 
make  known  to  his  majesty,  that  Heaven  requires  this  sacri- 
fice at  his  hands,  and  that  mortals  should  not  oppose  its 
decrees  ;  and  perhaps  add  such  reasons  as  could  not  be  con- 
troverted by  weak  understandings  prejudiced  by  an  ancient 
custom.* 

We  have  already  alluded  to  the  catastrophe  by  which 
this  mode  of  administration  was  brought  to  a  close.  In  the 
reign  of  the  second  Grecian  king  who  sat  on  the  throne  of 
Egypt,  when  the  light  of  philosophy  had  already  penetrated 
into  Ethiopia,  the  sovereign  of  Meroe,  whose  name  was 
Ergamenes,  resolved  to  shake  off  the  domination  of  the 
sacerdotal  caste.  At  the  head  of  an  armed  band"  he  pro- 
ceeded to  their  principal  temple,  and  subjected  the  whole 
body  to  a  general  massacre  ;  by  which  bold  measure,  sub- 
joins the  historian,  he  rendered  himself  a  monarch  in  reality 
as  well  as  in  title. t 

Heeren  very  judiciously  observes,  that  in  a  state  whose 
government  so  widely  differed  from  any  thing  to  which  we 
have  been  accustomed,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  a 
similar  peculiarity  would  apply  to  the  people,  who  could 
hardly  bear  any  similitude  to  the  civilized  nations  of  modern 
Europe.  Meroe,  he  thinks,  rather  resembled  in  appearance 
the  larger  states  of  interior  Africa  at  the  present  day ;  a 
number  of  small  nations  of  the  most  opposite  habits  and 
manners,  some  with  and  some  without  settled  abodes,  con- 
stituting what  is  called  an  empire,  although  the  general 
political  band  which  holds  them  together  is  loose,  and  often 
scarcely  perceptible.  In  Ethiopia  this  band  was  of  a  two- 
fold nature  ;  first,  religion  or  a  certain  worship  resting  upon 

*  Diod.  Bibliothec.  Histor.  lib.  iii.  c.  6,  t  Ibid, 


180  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

oracles,  and  secondly,  commerce, — unquestionably  the 
strongest  chains  by  which  barbarians  could  be  bound  ;  for 
the  one  gratified  the  superstitious,  and  the  other  the  covet- 
ous and  sensual.  Eratosthenes  relates,  that  in  his  time  the 
island  comprised  a  variety  of  people ;  of  whom  some  fol- 
lowed agriculture,  others  a  nomadic  or  pastoral  life,  and  a 
third  class  the  more  active  pursuits  of  hunting.  All  chose 
what  seemed  best  adapted  to  the  particular  district  in  which 
they  lived.* 

As  the  line  of  road  through  the  desert  which  connects 
Atbara  with  Abyssinia  has  not  been  trodden  in  modern 
times  by  any  native  of  Europe,  we  cannot  trace  the  archi- 
tectural features  of  the  two  countries  to  any  distinct  point 
of  resemblance.  The  habits,  too,  of  the  people  between 
the  Nile  and  the  Red  Sea,  who,  living  almost  constantly 
in  the  field,  either  as  soldiers  or  as  herdsmen,  shunned 
the  accommodation  of  large  towns,  afforded  little  encour- 
agement to  the  arts  of  sculpture  and  design.  It  is  not,  ac- 
cordingly, until  we  approach  the  shores  of  the  Arabian  Gulf 
that  we  find  the  traces  of  a  civilized  condition,  and  begin 
to  discover  the  tokens  of  that  refinement  and  command  of 
the  mechanical  powers,  which  excite  our  surprise  in  Nubia 
and  Egypt. 

At  Axum  have  been  examined  the  remains  of  ancient 
works,  which,  though  different  from  those  at  Dendera, 
Thebes,  and  Meroe,  are  sufficiently  great  to  have  called 
forth  the  admiration  of  the  most  competent  judges  ;  in- 
creasing, at  the  same  time,  the  curiosity  of  the  philosopher 
and  the  engineer  in  regard  to  the  resources  of  artificers  who 
could  remove  from  the  rock  and  raise  to  an  upright  position 

*  Historical  Researches,  vol.  i.  p.  419.  Strabo,  p.  1177-1194.  The 
account  given  by  Pliny  of  the  peninsular  tract  of  Meroe*  corresponds  re- 
markably with  the  indications  which  still  remain  of  its  ancient  greatness. 
"  Ipsum  oppidum  Meroen  ab  introitu  insula?  (i.  e.  a  loco  ubi  confluunt 
Nilus  et  Astaboras)  abesse  LXX  millia  passuum.  Juxtaque  aliam  insu- 
lam  Tadu  dextro  subeuntibus  alveo  qua?  porturn  laceret.  jEdiricia  oppidi 
pauca.  Regnare  fcerninam  Candacen,  quod  nomen  multis  jam  annis  ad 
reginas  transiit.  Delubrum  Harnmonis  et  ibi  sacrum.  Et  toto  tractu 
sacella."     Lib.  vi. 

For  some  able  remarks  on  the  latitude  of  Meroe",  as  given  by  Pliny  and 
Eratosthenes  in  Strabo.  we  refer  to  Dr.  Vincent's  work  on  the  Commerce 
and  Navigation  of  the  Ancients,  vol.  ii.  p.  91,  <fec.  This  learned  writer 
availed  himself  of  the  assistance  of  Bishop  Horsley  and  Mr.  Wales, 
whose  scientific  deductions  confirmed  the  statements  of  the  Greek  and 
Roman  geographers. 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  181 

obelisks  exceeding  a  hundred  feet  in  length.  That  there 
was  a  large  city  on  the  ground  which  still  displays  so  many 
interesting  ruins,  there  is  reason  to  conclude  both  from 
history  and  tradition,  though  it  has  now  dwindled  down 
to  a  few  insignificant  cottages.  The  native  chroniclers 
carry  back  its  origin  to  the  days  of  the  patriarch  Abraham, 
while  others  are  disposed  to  claim  for  it  a  still  higher  anti- 
quity ;  but,  as  we  have  already  remarked,  it  was  unknown 
to  Homer  and  Herodotus,  and  is  not  commemorated  by 
any  Grecian  author  before  the  time  of  Strabo.  Nor  is 
there  the  slightest  cause  to  doubt  that,  whatever  may  have 
been  the  date  of  its  foundation,  it  was  greatly  embellished 
by  the  successors  of  Alexander,  who  appear  to  have  carried 
their  arms  southward  along  either  shore  of  the  Red  Sea,  and 
even  to  have  established  a  temporary  throne  at  Axum. 

When  Poncet  was  in  Abyssinia  this  metropolis  was 
known  by  the  name  Heleni.  "  It  has,"  says  he,  "  a  fair 
monastery  and  a  magnificent  church.  It  is  the  fairest  and 
largest  I  have  seen  in  Ethiopia.  It  is  dedicated  to  St. 
Helena,  and  from  that  church  in  all  likelihood  the  town 
has  taken  its  name.  In  the  middle  of  the  spacious  place 
before  the  church,  are  to  be  seen  three  pyramidical  and 
triangular  spires  all  filled  with  hieroglyphics.  Among 
the  figures  of  these  pyramids  I  observed  upon  each  face  a 
lock,  which  is  very  singular,  for  the  Ethiopians  have  no  locks, 
and  are  even  unacquainted  with  the  use  of  them.  Al- 
though you  see  no  pedestals,  yet  these  spires  are  no  less 
high  than  the  obelisk  of  the  palace  before  St.  Peter's  at 
Rome,  placed  upon  its  pedestal.  It  is  believed  that  this 
was  the  country  of  the  Queen  of  Saba  ;  several  villages 
depending  upon  this  principality  bear  to  this  day  the  name 
of  Sabaim.  They  get  marble  in  the  mountains  which  no 
way  yields  to  that  of  Europe  ;  but  what  is  more  considerable 
is,  that  they  also  find  a  great  deal  of  gold  even  in  tilling 
their  ground.  They  brought  me  privately  some  pieces 
which  I  found  to  be  very  fine.  The  religious,  or  monks, 
of  that  church  are  habited  in  yellow  skins,  and  wear  a 
little  cap  of  the  same  material  and  colour."* 

Before  Bruce  paid  his  celebrated  visit  to  these  curiosi- 
ties,  two  of  the  three  great  obelisks  which  the  French 

*  A  Voyage  to  Ethiopia,  made  in  the  years  1698,  1699,  and  1700,  p.  106. 

Q 


182  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

physician  found  standing  had  fallen.  In  the  square,  which 
is  imagined  to  have  been  the  centre  of  the  town,  there  were 
not  fewer  than  forty  in  a  prostrate  condition,  none  of  which, 
however,  had  any  hieroglyphics  upon  them.  Each  consists 
of  one  piece  of  granite  ;  and  on  the  top  of  that  which  is 
still  erect,  there  appeared  to  be  a  patera  exceedingly  well 
carved  in  the  Grecian  style.  Below  there  is  the  door-bolt 
and  lock  which  Poncet  speaks  of  carved  on  the  pillar,  as  if 
to  represent  an  entrance  through  it  to  some  building  be- 
hind. The  lock  and  bolt  are  precisely  those  which  are 
used  at  this  day  in  Egypt  and  Palestine,  but  were  never 
seen  in  Ethiopia.  This  traveller  holds  the  opinion  that 
the  monument  now  described,  and  the  two  larger  ones 
which  are  fallen,  are  the  work  of  Ptolemy  Euergetes,  the 
second  of  the  Macedonian  dynasty.  There  is,  he  assures 
his  readers,  a  great  deal  of  carving  upon  the  face  of  the 
obelisk,  in  a  Gothic  taste,  something  like  metopes,  trig- 
lyphs,  and  guttae,  rudely  disposed,  and  without  order,  but, 
he  adds,   there  are  no  characters  or  figures. 

After  passing  the  convent  of  Abba  Pantaleon,  and  the 
small  obelisk  situated  on  the  rock  above,  "  we  proceed 
south  by  a  road  cut  in  a  mountain  of  red  marble,  having  on 
the  left  a  parapet  wall  above  five  feet  high,  solid,  and  of 
the  same  materials.  At  equal  distances  there  are  hewn  in 
this  wall  solid  pedestals,  upon  the  tops  of  which  we  see 
the  marks  where  stood  the  colossal  statues  of  Sirius,  the 
Latrator  Anubis  or  dog-star.  One  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  of  these  pedestals,  with  the  marks  of  the  statues  I 
have  just  mentioned,  are  still  in  their  places  ;  but  only 
two  figures  of  the  dog  remained  when  I  was  there,  much 
mutilated,  but  of  a  taste  easily  distinguished  to  be  Egyp- 
tian. These  are  composed  of  granite  ;  but  some  of  them 
appear  to  have  been  of  metal.  Axum  being  the  capital  of 
Siris  or  Sire,  from  this  we  easily  see  what  connexion  this 
capital  of  the  province  had  with  the  dog-star,  and  conse- 
quently the  absurdity  of  supposing  that  the  river  derived 
its  name  from  a  Hebrew  word,  shihor,  signifying  black. 
There  are  likewise  pedestals  whereon  the  figures  of  the 
sphinx  have  been  placed.  Two  magnificent  flights  of  steps 
several  hundred  feet  long,  all  of  granite,  exceedingly  well 
fashioned  and  still  in  their  places,  are  the  only  remains  of 
a  magnificent  temple.     In  the  angle  of  this  platform,  where 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  183 

that  temple  stood,  is  the  present  small  church  of  Axum,  in 
the  place  of  a  former  one  destroyed  by  Mohammed  Gragne\ 
in  the  reign  of  King  David  III.  ;  and  which  was  probably 
the  remains  of  a  temple  built  by  Ptolemy  Euergetes,  if  not 
the  work  of  times  more  remote."* 

In  reference  to  some  of  the  points  now  stated,  the  accu- 
racy of  Bruce  has  been  justly  called  in  question,  though  in 
a  spirit  which  does  little  honour  to  the  critic  and  traveller  to 
whom  we  owe  the  correction.  During  Mr.  Salt's  first  visit 
to  Abyssinia,  he  was  pleased  to  cast  doubt  on  many  parts 
of  his  predecessor's  narrative,  and  even  to  charge  him  with 
downright  fabrication,  in  matters  of  which  a  more  minute 
inquiry  afterward  completely  established  the  truth.  Of 
these  hasty  strictures  we  shall  have  occasion  to  produce 
some  examples,  when  we  come,  to  review  the  manners  and 
customs  of  the  inhabitants  ;  meantime  we  shall  proceed  to 
examine  the  details  in  which  the  former  writer  has  mani- 
festly failed  in  exactness  of  description. 

He  tells  us,  that  "  within  the  outer  gate  of  the  church, 
below  the  steps,  are  three  small  square  enclosures  all  of 
granite,  wTith  small  octagon  pillars  in  the  angles  apparently 
Egyptian  ;  on  the  top  of  which  formerly  were  small  images 
of  the  dog-star,  probably  of  metal.  Upon  a  stone  in  the 
middle  of  one  of  these  the  king  sits  and  is  crowned,  and 
always  has  been  since  the  days  of  paganism ;  and  below 
it,  where  he  naturally  places  his  feet,  is  a  large  oblong  slab 
like  a  hearth,  which  is  not  of  granite  but  of  freestone.  The 
inscription,  though  much  defaced,  may  safely  be  restored. 

nTOAEMAIOT   EYEPrETOY 
BASIAEiZS 

"  Poncet  has  mistaken  this  last  word  for  Basilius ;  but 
he  did  not  pretend  to  be  a  scholar,  and  was  ignorant  of  the 
history  of  this  country. "t 

Now  it  is  proved  beyond  all  reasonable  skepticism,  that 
there  is  no  inscription  whatever  on  the  king's  seat,  and  that 
the  letters  which  Mr.  Bruce  has  given  as  Greek  are  in  fact 
Ethiopic  characters,  and  are  found  on  a  slab  at  the  distance 
of  thirty  yards  from  the  royal  chair.    Besides,  Poncet  makes 


*  Travels  to  discover  the  Source  of  the  Nile,  vol.  iv.  p.  321. 
t  Travels,  vol.  iv.  p.  323.    Second  edition. 


184  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

not  the  slightest  allusion  to  any  such  carving  on  the  stones 
which  compose  that  relic  of  antiquity  ;  and  it  is  now  fully 
ascertained,  lhat  the  reference  to  a  tablet  with  the  word 
"Basilius"  on  it,  is  in  the  work  of  another  author  who 
wrote  at  an  earlier  period.  In  a  word,  it  must  be  acknow- 
ledged that  the  distinguished  traveller  whose  statements  we 
are  now  examining,  could  only  have  written  his  account  of 
the  ruins  at  Axum  from  an  indistinct  reminiscence,  aided 
by  the  publications  of  the  Jesuit  missionaries  ;  and  that  he 
has  accordingly,  in  more  than  a  single  instance,  confounded 
one  monument  with  another. 

Still,  it  may  be  suggested,  that  the  errors  committed  by 
him  are  not  of  so  atrocious  a  nature  as  to  justify  the  severe 
remarks  of  Mr.  Salt,  who,  alluding  to  his  description  of 
the  standing  obelisk,  not  only  undervalues  his  acquirements 
as  an  artist,  but  also  impeaches  his  truth  and  honour  as  a 
man.  "  I  am  now  pefectly  satisfied,"  says  he,  "  that  all 
Bruce's  pretended  knowledge  of  drawing  is  not  to  be  de- 
pended upon ;  the  present  instance  affording  a  striking 
example  both  of  his  want  of  veracity  and  of  his  uncommon 
assurance,  in  giving,  with  a  view  to  correct  others,  as  a  geo- 
metrical elevation,  so  very  false  a  sketch  of  this  monu- 
ment." This  intense  vituperation,  too,  is  the  more  mis- 
applied, inasmuch  as,  in  regard  to  the  very  same  obelisk, 
Mr.  Salt  found  it  necessary,  when  he  examined  it  five  years 
afterward,  to  make  two  very  material  alterations ;  and 
hence  there  is  an  essential  discrepancy  between  his  report 
of  it  in  Lord  Valentia's  Travels,  and  that  contained  in  his 
own  volume,  the  Travels  in  Abyssinia.  In  the  former  he 
assigns  to  it  a  height  of  eighty  feet,  whereas  in  the  latter  it 
is  reduced  to  sixty  ;  and  while,  in  the  beautiful  plate  with 
which  he  adorned  his  lordship's  book,  he  represents  the 
patera  on  the  top  as  terminating  in  rather  a  sharp  point,  he 
admits  in  his  own  pages  that  "  it  ought  to  have  been 
round."  Two  such  blunders  by  so  complete  a  master  of 
the  pencil  were  hardly  to  be  expected,  and  more  especially 
in  one  who  was  so  ready  to  condemn  the  "  pretended 
knowledge  of  drawing"  in  others  !  To  Bruce,  on  the 
other  hand,  he  will  not  allow  the  benefit  of  that  very  modi- 
fied candour  which  regards  a  mistake  in  numbers  and  posi- 
tion as  involuntary,  or  the  mere  effect  of  an  imperfect 
recollection.     He  asserts,  on  the  contrary,  "  It  appears  to 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  185 

me,  that  nothing  but  the  fallacious  presumption  that  no 
one,  after  the  difficulties  he  had  described  with  so  much 
exaggeration,  would  dare  to  follow  his  steps,  could  have 
induced  him  to  venture  on  such  unsupported  assertions, 
which  the  very  next  European  who  should  travel  that  way- 
would  so  certainly  refute."* 

But  it  must  not  be  concealed  that  Bruce  was  more  un- 
fortunate in  his  omissions  than  his  misstatements  ;  for  he 
left  Axum  without  seeing  a  monument  to  which  former 
travellers  had  in  fact  alluded,  and  which  is  now  regarded 
as  the  most  valuable  relic  in  that  ancient  capital.  About 
half  a  mile  from  the  church,  though  somewhat  concealed  by 
rising  ground,  is  an  upright  slab  eight  feet  in  length,  three 
and  a  half  broad,  and  one  foot  in  thickness,  which  contains 
an  inscription  in  the  Greek  language  illustrative  of  the  an- 
cient history  of  the  country.  The  characters,  which  are 
fairly  and  deeply  cut,  are  nearly  two  inches  long.  For  the 
preservation  of  the  engraving  in  so  perfect  a  state  it  is 
greatly  indebted  to  a  fortunate  inclination  towards  the 
north,  which  the  nature  of  the  ground  has  given  to  the 
stone,  by  which  that  side  of  it  is  entirely  sheltered  from  the 
rain.     The  translation  in  Mr.  Salt's  work  is  as  follows  : — 

"  (We)  Aeizanas.  King  of  the  Axomites  and 
of  the  Homerites,  and  of  Raeidan,  and  of  the  Ethi- 
opians, and  of  the  Sabeans,  and  of  Zeyla, 
and  of  Tiamo,  and  the  Boja,  and  of  the  Ta- 
quie,  King  of  Kings,  son  of  god, 
the  invincible  Mars — having  rebelled 
on  an  occasion  the  nation  of  the  Boja, 
We  sent  our  brothers 
Saiazanaand  Adephos 
to  make  war  upon  them  ;  and  upon 
their  surrender  (our  brothers)  after  subduing  them, 
brought  them  to  us  with  their  families, 
of  their  oxen  112.  and  of  their  sheep 
7424,  and  their  beasts  bearing  burthens ; 
nourishing  them  with  the  flesh  of  oxen,  and  giving  them  a 
supply  of  bread,  and  affording  them  to  drink 
beer  (sowa)  and  wine  (maize),  and  water  in  abundance. 
Who  (the  prisoners)  were  in  number  six  chiefs, 
with  their  multitude  in  number  *** 
making  them  bread  every  day  of  wheat- 
en  cakes  *2*  and  giving  them  wine  for  a  month 
until  the  time  that  they  brought  the  whole  body  to  us; 

*  Valentia's  Travels,  vol.  iii.  p.  98. 
Q2 


186  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

whom  therefore  supplying  with  all  things 

fit,  and  clothing,  we  compelled  them  to  change  their 

abode,  and  sent  them  to  a  certain  place  of  our 

country  called  M a,  and  we  ordered  them 

again  to  be  supplied  with  bread,  furnishing 

to  these  six  chiefs  oxen  4*. 

In  grateful  acknowledgment  to  him  who  begat  me, 

the  invincible  Mars, 

I  have  dedicated  to  him  a  soMnn  statue,  and  one 

of  silver,  and  three  of  brass,  for  good." 

This  inscription,  taken  by  itself,  is  of  no  great  value,  for 
it  merely  records  the  result  of  a  successful  attack  upon  a 
barbarous  tribe  ;  but  it  possesses  no  small  importance  when 
applied  to  the  illustration  of  a  dark  period  in  Ethiopian  his- 
tory, as  well  as  to  determine  the  precise  date  at  which  the 
monument  itself  was  erected.  Aizana,  as  was  formerly  ob- 
served, was  king  of  Abyssinia,  or  rather  of  the  Axumites, 
in  the  reign  of  the  Roman  emperor  Constantius  ;  and  there  is 
still  extant,  in  the  works  of  Athanasius,  a  letter  from  that 
popular  ruler  to  the  African  prince,  at  the  time  he  was 
reigning  conjointly  with  his  brother  Saizana,  whose  name  is 
also  mentioned  on  the  slab.  From  comparing  the  date  of 
the  imperial  communication  with  the  circumstances  to  which 
it  is  known  to  have  had  a  reference — the  disgrace  of  Fru- 
mentius  and  the  orthodox  clergy — it  is  concluded  that  the 
inscription  must  have  been  engraved  about  the  year  330 
of  the  Christian  epoch.* 

*  Valentia's  Travels,  vol.  iii.  p.  186.  Considering  that  monument  has 
stood  one  thousand  five  hundred  years,  the  circumstance  of  its  being 
found  in  so  very  perfect  a  state  is  somewhat  remarkable ;  and  it  strongly 
proves  the  want  of  research  among  the  fathers  who  visited  this  country 
in  the  fifteenth  century,  as  the  following  account  given  of  it  by  Tellez 
will  sufficiently  prove.  "Non  procnl  abhinc  erectum  est  saxum,  tribus 
cubitis  latum,  iuseulptum  literis  partim  Graecis  partim  Latinis,  sed  tem- 
poris  injuria  fere  exesis.  Hoc  indicium  est,  omnes  istas  structuras  esse 
artificum  Europasorum  a  temporibus  Justini  et  aliorum  Imperatorum 
Orientalium,  qui  (teste  Procopio)  magnam  cum  regibus  Ethiopia?  amici- 
tiam  coluerunt.  Quamvio  tunc  temporis  mixtura  fuerit  linguarum 
Graeeae  et  Latins  quia  milites  unius  et  alterius  idiomatis  in  iisdem  cas- 
tris  militabant — Verum  imaginari  mihi  non  possum  mixtam  scripturam 
in  illis  saxis  reperiri,  multo  minus  rationem  istius  rei  valere  puto.  Ocu- 
latiores  inspectores  (aut  nimium  fallor)  aliquando  reperient  scripturam 
mere  Graecam,  atque  in  ea  literas  A.  B.  E.  T.  I.  K.  M.  N.  O.  P.  T.  X. 
quas  Latini  cum  Gratis  communes  habent,  quamvis  non  in  omnibus 
ssqualis  sint  pronuntiationis." 

Hence  it  is  manifest  that,  when  this  learned  father  travelled  in  Abys- 
sinia, not  only  were  the  contents  of  the  Axum  inscription  unknown,  but 
it  was  still  doubtful  in  what  language  it  was  expressed. 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  187 

Mr.  Salt  remarks  that  all  the  information  which  could  be 
procured  concerning  the  singular  remains  at  Axum  was 
obtained  from  the  priests  ;  who,  on  the  authority  of  their 
sacred  books,  related  that  their  ancient  monuments  and 
obelisks,  originally  fifty-five  in  number,  of  which  four  were 
as  large  as  the  one  now  standing,  were  erected  by  Ethiopus, 
the  father  of  Abyssinia,  about  one  thousand  five  hundred 
and  forty  years  ago.  They  add  that  the  great  reservoir, 
from  which  every  house  in  the  town  was  formerly  supplied 
with  water,  was  constructed  during  the  reign  of  King  Isaac 
by  the  Abuna  Samuel,  who  died  at  Axum  three  hundred 
and  ninety-two  years  ago,  and  was  buried  under  the  daroo- 
tree,  which  still  remains  near  the  church.  They  moreover 
subjoin  the  interesting  fact,  that  in  the  year  1070  a  female 
named  Jadit  (or  Judith),  who  had  great  authority,  came 
from  Amhara,  and,  excited  by  a  superstitious  motive,  de- 
stroyed as  far  as  she  was  able  these  remains  of  ancient  art  ; 
threw  down  the  obelisks,  broke  the  altars,  and  laid  the 
whole  place  in  ruins, — an  account  by  no  means  improbable, 
as  it  is  admitted  that  there  is  every  appearance  of  many 
of  the  largest  altars  having  been  shattered  by  great  force, 
and  removed  from  their  place.* 

The  great  obelisk  has  been  universally  admired  even  from 
the  days  of  the  Portuguese  mission,  when  the  knowledge 
of  it  was  first  conveyed  to  modern  Europe.  The  more 
minutely  it  was  examined  by  Mr.  Salt,  who  could  compare 
t,it  with  others  of  Egyptian,  Grecian,  and  Roman  origin,  the 
more  deeply  was  he  struck  with  the  consummate  skill  and 
ingenuity  displayed  in  its  formation  ;  and  he  thought  him- 
self justified  in  pronouncing  it  the  most  perfect  monument 
of  its  kind.f 

Most  of  our  readers  are  aware  that  there  was  a  similar 
inscription  at  Adulis,  an  ancient  town  near  the  Bay  of 
Masuah,  which  was  copied  by  Cosmas  Indicopleustes,  who, 
as  has  been  already  mentioned,  visited  that  coast  in  the 
sixth  century.  The  work  into  which  this  record  has  been 
transcribed  is  entitled  "  Topographia  Christiana,"  and  was 
intended  by  its  author  to  prove  that  the  earth  is  a  plane,  in 
opposition  to  the  philosophical  notion  of  its  being  a  sphere, 
which  he  conceived  to  be  an  heretical  opinion,  and  contrary 

*  Valentia's  Travels,  vol.  iii.  p.  98.  t  Travels  in  Abyssinia,  p.  405 


188  ARCHITECTURAL   MONUMENTS    OF 

to  divine  revelation.  He  had  himself  travelled  much,  and 
in  the  parts  he  visited  he  still  found  they  were  all  on  the 
same  level  or  flat  surface  with  Greece,  his  native  land. 
His  deductions  from  this  hypothesis  are  rather  extraordi- 
nary ;  but  the  facts  he  relates,  and  the  countries  he  de- 
scribes, are  given  with  all  the  characters  of  truth  that  sim- 
plicity can  afford. 

"  Adulis,"  says  he,  "  is  a  city  of  Ethiopia,  and  the  port 
of  communication  with  Axiomis  and  the  whole  nation, 
of  which  that  city  is  the  capital.  In  this  port  we  carry  on 
our  trade  from  Alexandria  and  the  Elanitic  Gulf:  the  town 
itself  is  about  two  miles  from  the  shore,  and  as  you  enter 
it  on  the  western  side  by  the  road  that  leads  from  Axiomis, 
there  is  still  remaining  a  chair  or  throne  which  appertained 
to  one  of  the  Ptolemys,  who  had  subjected  this  country  to 
his  authority.  This  chair  is  of  beautiful  white  marble  ;  not 
so  white  indeed  as  the  Proconnesian,  but  such  as  we  em- 
ploy for  marble  tables  :  it  stands  on  a  quadrangular  base, 
and  rests  at  the  four  corners  on  four  slender  and  elegant 
pillars,  with  a  fifth  in  the  centre,  which  is  channeled  in  a 
spiral  form.  On  these  pillars  the  seat  is  supported,  as  well 
as  the  back  of  the  throne,  and  the  two  sides  on  the  right 
and  left.  The  whole  chair,  with  its  base,  the  five  pillars, 
the  seat,  the  back,  and  the  two  sides,  is  of  one  entire  piece, 
carved  into  this  form  ;  in  height  about  two  cubits  and  a 
half,  and  in  shape  like  a  patriarch's  chair." 

At  the  back  of  it  is  a  tablet  of  basanite,  or  Egyptian 
granite,  three  cubits  in  height  :  it  is  now,  indeed,  fallen 
down,  and  the  lower  part  of  it  broken  and  destroyed  ;  but 
the  whole  slab,  as  well  as  the  chair  itself,  is  filled  with 
Greek  characters.  "  Now  it  so  happened,  when  I  was  in 
this  part  of  the  country,  about  five-and-twenty  years  ago, 
in  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Justin  the  Roman  emperor, 
that  Elesban,  the  king  of  the  Axiomites,  when  he  was  pre- 
paring for  an  expedition  against  the  Homerites  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Red  Sea,  wrote  to  the  governor  of  Adulis, 
directing  him  to  take  a  copy  of  the  inscription  which  was 
both  on  the  chair  of  Ptolemy  and  on  the  tablet,  and  to  send 
it  to  him.  The  governor,  whose  name  was  Asbas,  applied 
to  me,  and  to  a  merchant  of  the  name  of  Menas,  to  copy  the 
inscription.  Menas  was  a  Greek  of  my  acquaintance,  who 
afterward  became  a  monk  at  Raithu,  and  died  there  not  long 


NUBIA   AND   ABYSSINIA.  189 

ago.  We  undertook  the  business  together ;  and,  having 
completed  it,  delivered  one  copy  to  the  governor  and  kept 
another  for  ourselves.  It  is  from  this  copy  that  I  now  state 
the  particulars  of  the  inscription,  and  I  ought  to  add,  that  in 
putting  them  together,  and  drawing  my  own  conclusions 
from  them,  I  have  found  them  very  useful  for  forming  a 
judgment  of  the  country,  the  inhabitants,  and  the  distances 
of  the  respective  places.  I  ought  to  mention  that  we  found 
the  figures  of  Hercules  and  Mercury  among  the  carvings  at 
the  back  of  the  seat." 

Cosmas  supplies  his  readers  with  a  drawing,  which  was 
copied  from  his  manuscript  by  Montfaucon,  and  is  given  by 
Dr.  Vincent  in  the  second  volume  of  his  work  on  the  Com- 
merce and  Navigation  of  the  Ancients.  The  inscription 
on  the  tablet,  or  slab,  found  lying  behind  the  chair,  is  as 
follows  : — 

"  Ptolemy  the  Great,  king,  son  of  Ptolemy,  king,  and 
Arsinoe,  queen,  gods,  brother  and  sister ;  grandson  of  the 
two  sovereigns,  Ptolemy,  king,  and  Berenice,  queen,  gods- 
preservers  ;  descended  on  the  father's  side  from  Hercules 
son  of  Jupiter,  receiving  from  his  father  the  kingdom  of 
Egypt,  Africa,  Syria,  Phenicia,  Cyprus,  Lycia,  Caria,  and 
the  Cyclades,  invaded  Asia  with  his  land  and  sea  forces, 
and  with  elephants  from  the  country  of  the  Troglodytes  and 
Ethiopians.  This  body  of  elephants  was  first  collected  out 
of  these  countries  by  his  father  and  himself,  and  brought 
into  Egypt  and  tamed  for  the  service  of  war.  With  these 
forces  Ptolemy,  advancing  into  Asia,  reduced  all  the  country 
on  this  side  the  Euphrates,  as  well  as  Cilicia,  the  Helles- 
pont, Thrace,  and  all  the  armies  in  those  provinces.  In 
this  expedition,  having  captured  also  many  Indian  ele- 
phants, and  subjected  all  the  princes  to  his  obedience,  he 
crossed  the  Euphrates,  entered  Mesopotamia,  Babylonia, 
Susiana,  Persis,  Media,  and  the  whole  country  as  far  as 
Bactria,  and  brought  it  all  under  his  dominion.  In  Persis 
and  Susiana  he  collected  all  the  spoils  of  the  temples  which 
had  been  carried  out  of  Egypt  by  Cambyses  and  the  Per- 
sians, and  carried  them  back  again  to  that  country,  with  all 
the  treasures  he  had  accumulated  in  his  conquests,  and  all 
the  forces  which  had  attended  him  on  the  expedition  :  all 
these  he  embarked  upon  the  canals." 

"This,"   .«ays   Cosmas,    "was   the  inscription   on   the 


190  ARCHITECTURAL   MONUMENTS    OF 

tablet,  so  far  as  we  could  read  it ;  and  it  was  nearly  the 
whole,  for  only  a  small  part  was  broken  off.  After  that  we 
copied  what  was  written  on  the  chair,  which  was  con- 
nected with  the  inscription  already  given,  and  ran  thus :" 

Our  limits  will  not  permit  us  to  insert  this  commemoration 
of  a  series  of  conquests  over  the  barbarian  tribes  of  Eastern 
Africa  and  Arabia,  from  the  borders  of  Egypt  to  the  shores 
of  the  Indian  Ocean.  There  is  no  doubt,  however,  that  the 
monarch  carried  his  arms  into  the  hilly  parts  of  Abyssinia, 
and  perhaps  into  Sennaar  and  Kordofan.  "  I  reduced," 
says  he,  "  Ava,  and  Tiamo,  or  Tziamo,  Gambela,  and  the 
country  around  it ;  Zingabene,  Tiama,  and  the  Agathai ; 
Kalaa,  and  Sememe,  among  mountains  difficult  of  access 
and  covered  with  snow.  In  all  this  region  there  is  hail  and 
frost,  and  snow  so  deep  that  the  troops  sunk  up  to  their 
knees.  I  passed  the  Nile  to  attack  these  nations,  and  sub- 
dued them."  In  conclusion  his  majesty  says,  "  Thus, 
having  reduced  the  whole  world  to  peace  under  my  own 
authority,  I  came  down  to  Adulis,  and  sacrificed  to  Jupiter, 
to  Mars,  and  to  Neptune,  imploring  his  protection  for  all 
that  navigate  these  seas.  Here,  also,  I  reunited  all  my 
forces  (which  had  been  employed  on  both  sides  of  the  Red 
Sea),  and  sitting  on  this  throne,  in  this  place,  I  consecrated 
it  to  Mars  in  the  twenty-seventh  year  of  my  reign."* 

In  the  learned  work  of  Dr.  Vincent  the  reader  will  find 
much  amusing  commentary  on  these  inscriptions,  and  an 
account  of  all  the  places  in  Asia  and  Africa  mentioned  by 
the  boastful  conqueror.  Mr.  Salt  thinks  that  the  two 
records,  on  the  chair  and  on  the  tablet,  apply  to  different 
sovereigns  at  an  earlier  and  a  later  period  ;  considering  the 
first  as  a  record  of  the  victories  of  Ptolemy  in  Asia,  and  the 
second  as  a  memorial  of  the  exploits  of  an  Abyssinian  king. 
For  the  reasons  on  which  these  several  opinions  are  sup- 
ported we  refer  to  his  learned  dissertation  inserted  in  the 
third  volume  of  Lord  Valentia's  Travels. f 

We  refrain  from  any  farther  details  respecting  the  archi- 
tectural monuments  of  ancient  Ethiopia  ;  but  we  cannot 

*  See  Vincent's  Periplus  of  the  Erythraean  Sea,  in  his  second  volume, 
p.  530-542.  Montfaucon's  Nova  Collectio  Patrurn,  2  vols.  fol.  Paris, 
1706.    Lord  Valentia's  Travels,  vol.  iii.  p.  192. 

t  See  p.  195. 


NUBIA    AND    ABYSSINIA.  191 

conclude  this  chapter  without  adding  a  few  reflections  on 
that  magnificence  and  power  of  which  they  are  now  the 
only  remaining  tokens.  While  we  find  all  our  efforts  fruit- 
less in  attempting  to  trace  the  rise  of  those  political  in- 
stitutions which  conferred  upon  Egypt  a  glory  at  once  so 
early  and  so  permanent,  we  are  rewarded  with  an  unex- 
pected success  in  marking  the  vestiges  of  religious  archi- 
tecture as  we  follow  its  progress  more  than  four  hundred 
leagues  along  the  valley  of  the  Nile.  We  detect  the  work- 
ings of  the  same  mighty  spirit,  from  the  rock-cut  temples 
of  Nubia  to  those  masterpieces  of  human  skill  and  perse- 
verance, the  temples  of  Thebes  and  the  pyramids  of  Djizeh. 
The  structures  of  Luxor  and  Karnac  excite  an  astonish- 
ment that  increases  in  proportion  to  the  care  with  which 
they  are  examined.  The  hypostyle  hall  at  the  latter  place, 
for  example,  is  represented  as  the  most  stupendous  and 
sublime  of  all  the  remains  of  Egyptian  palaces  or  temples. 
Every  thing  connected  with  it  is  colossal ;  its  area  is  nearly 
58,000  square  feet,  and  its  roof  is  supported  by  a  hundred 
and  thirty-four  pillars,  some  of  which  are  little  short 
of  eleven  feet  in  diameter.  Each  column  of  the  two  cen- 
tral rows,  which  are  somewhat  taller  than  the  others, 
measures  sixty-five  feet  in  height  and  thirty-three  feet  in  cir- 
cumference. The  whole  from  top  to  bottom  is  ornamented 
with  sculpture  relating  to  religious  affairs.  The  procession 
of  the  boat,  or  holy  ark,  is  often  repeated  on  the  walls.  So 
great,  however,  is  the  number  of  these  carvings  that  no 
one  has  been  able  to  count  them,  much  less  to  copy  them. 
"No  description,"  says  an  eyewitness,  "can  adequately 
express  the  sensations  inspired  by  this  astonishing  sight, 
in  which  the  magnificence  and  might  of  the  ancient  rulers 
of  Egypt  are  made  perceptible  to  the  eye."  Of  what  deeds, 
of  what  events,  now  lost  to  the  history  of  the  world, — of 
what  scenes  have  these  columns  been  the  witnesses  !  Can 
it  be  doubted  that  this  was  the  spot  where  those  rulers  of 
the  world,  of  the  nations  in  the  East  and  in  the  West,  ex- 
hibited themselves  in  their  glory  and  power,  and  in  which 
they  concentrated  the  fruits  of  their  victories,  the  spoil 
or  tribute  of  many  vanquished  kingdoms  ?  Well  might 
Champollion  exclaim  that  the  imagination,  which  in 
Europe  rises  far  above  our  porticoes,  sinks  abashed  at  the 


192  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS    OF 

foot  of  the  one  hundred  and  forty  columns  of  the  hypostyl© 
hall  of  Karnac  !* 

The  great  temple  of  Karnac  too,  which  is  one  of  the  best 
preserved  monuments  in  this  part  of  Egypt,  combines  mag- 
nitude with  splendour  in  a  very  high  degree  ;  being  sur- 
rounded with  colonnades,  gigantic  figures,  and  stately  por- 
ticoes. It  is  without  doubt  one  of  the  most  ancient  structures 
in  the  country,  and  yet  it  offers  a  confirmation  of  the 
opinion  to  which,  in  the  mind  of  certain  travellers,  the  ex- 
amination of  the  palace  gave  rise  ;  namely,  that  both  were 
partly  built  of  the  materials  of  more  ancient  edifices,  orna- 
mented with  the  same  hieroglyphics^  the  same  colours,  and 
the  same  highly-finished  sculptures.  To  what  profound 
contemplations  on  the  antiquity  of  the  arts,  and  on  the  pro- 
gress of  civilization  so  closely  connected  with  their  culture, 
do  these  observations  lead  !f 

In  describing  the  ruins  which  still  remain  on  various 
points  of  the  Nile,  we  have  had  frequent  occasion  to  mention 
the  sacred  ship  or  boat  sculptured  on  the  walls.  Sesostris 
is  said  to  have  dedicated  one  of  cedar-wood  to  Ammon,  the 
god  of  Thebes  ;  it  was  420  feet  long,  gilded  all  over  on  the 
outside  and  covered  with  silver  within.  The  use  of  this 
emblem  was  supposed  to  denote  the  foreign  extraction  of 
their  priesthood  and  religious  rites,  and  to  draw  the  atten- 
tion of  the  worshippers  to  some  distant  land  whence  their 
ceremonies  were  originally  derived.  "  Once  a  year,"  as  we 
are  informed  by  Diodorus  Siculus,  "  the  sanctuary  or  shrine 
of  Zeus  is  taken  across  the  river  to  the  Libyan  side,  and 
after  a  few  days  it  is  brought  back,  as  if  the  deity  were 
returning  from  Ethiopia."  This  procession,  too,  is  repre- 
sented in  one  of  the  reliefs  on  the  temple  of  Karnac ;  the 
sacred  ship  of  Ammon  being  on  the  Nile  with  its  whole 
equipment,  and  towed  along  by  another  boat.  This  must 
therefore,  says  Heeren,  have  been  one  of  the  most  celebrated 

*  Heeren,  vol.  i.  p.  248.  M  But  we  shall  form  a  more  exact  idea  of  this 
enormous  work  by  comparing  it  with  some  standard  of  which  we  can 
judge.  The  church  of  St.  Martin's  in  the  Fields,  one  of  the  finest  and 
largest  of  modern  religious  edifices  in  London,  is  1378  feet  long  and  81 
wide,  measured  along  the  outside  basement,  not  including  the  steps  and 
portico.  This  will  give  an  area  of  nearly  11,150  square  feet;  which  is 
not  so  much  as  one-fifth  part  of  the  great  hall  of  Karnac.'— British 
Museum,  p.  89. 

t  Heeren,  vol.  i.  p.  252. 


NUBIA   AND    ABYSSINIA.  193 

festivals,  since,  according  to  the  interpretation  of  antiquity, 
Homer  alludes  to  it  when  he  speaks  of  Jupiter's  visit  to  the 
Ethiopians  and  his  twelve  days'  absence.  That  such 
attendance,  paid  by  the  gods  of  a  colony  to  those  of  the  pa- 
rent state,  were  common,  and  considered  as  proofs  of  national 
relationship,  is  well  known  from  numerous  instances  in  the 
ancient  world.  The  forms  only  were  different ;  in  one  case 
this  affinity  might  be  commemorated  by  such  a  procession 
as  we  have  described,  in  another  by  sending  a  sacred  em- 
bassy. When  Alexander  took  Tyre,  he  found  there  a 
religious  mission  from  Carthage,  the  most  important  of  its 
colonies.* 

The  same  principle  applies  to  all  the  nations  of  the 
Eastern  World  ;  for  a  common  religion  was  one  of  the 
strongest  ties  among  men  in  ancient  times,  and  tended  more, 
perhaps,  than  any  thing  else  to  perpetuate  among  them  those 
friendly  feelings  which  had  their  origin  in  a  kindred  blood. 
The  primitive  seat  of  their  faith  was  still  held  as  the  me- 
tropolis of  all  the  tribes  and  people  who  sprang  from  the 
same  root.  Thus  we  find,  that  at  the  stated  season  devout 
men  of  Jewish  extraction  went  from  every  nation  under 
heaven  to  worship  at  Jerusalem,  the  holy  city  of  their 
fathers  ;  a  practice  well  illustrated  by  the  journey  of  the 
Ethiopian  treasurer,  who,  in  order  to  fulfil  a  pious  duty, 
passed  the  frightful  deserts  which  intervened  between  the 
country  of  Candace  and  the  capital  of  Palestine. 

Aided  by  this  principle  we  can  more  easily  trace  the  line- 
age of  the  divinities  acknowledged  by  Greece  and  Rome. 
The  Jupiter  of  Olympus  was  only  a  cadet,  so  to  speak,  of 
that  ancient  family  of  gods,  who,  through  the  medium  of  the 
branches  established  in  Egypt,  extended  their  authority  and 
worship  from  the  shores  of  the  Indian  Ocean  to  those  of  the 
Baltic.  The  homage,  therefore,  which  was  paid  by  the 
junior  deities  to  the  parent  gods  at  the  ancient  seat  of  their 
power,  was  not  only  a  mark  of  respect  to  antiquity  but  an 
acknowledgment  of  inferiority  and  dependence  in  the  more 
recent  people.  It  implied,  besides,  all  the  duties  of  a  vassal 
state  ;  for  he  who  carried  a  gift  to  the  shrine  of  a  national 

*  Diod.  Sic.  lib.  i.  c.  97.     Kc/t'  eviamSv  yapirapd  tots  Aiyv~liois  tov 
v£u)v  tov  &tbs  xspaiovG^-at  tov  irorauov  lis  Tr,v  Av;3vi)v,  Kai  utO' fmepag 
Tivas  7raAii'  i-Ki,arprj6£ii\  w?  f£  Aidtoxtas  tov  Stov  irapov'Jo;.     Heeren, 
vol.  i.  p.  301.    British  Museum,  96. 
R 


194  ARCHITECTURAL    MONUMENTS,    ETC. 

divinity  confessed  thereby  that  his  allegiance  was  pledged, 
and  his  services  bound  to  the  land  in  which  he  presented  his 
offering. 

We  have  elsewhere  mentioned  the  alarm  which  was  ex- 
cited among  the  Hebrew  tribes,  who  under  the  command 
of  Joshua  had  settled  on  the  western  side  of  the  Jordan, 
when  it  was  reported  to  them  that  their  brethren  of  Gad  and 
Reuben  had  erected  an  altar  on  the  opposite  bank  in  the 
pastoral  district  of  Gilead.  This  act  was  considered  as 
equivalent  to  a  political  schism,  or  a  permanent  separation 
of  interests.  And  when  they  heard  of  it,  "  the  whole  chil- 
dren of  Israel  gathered  themselves  together  at  Shiloh,  to  go 
up  to  war  against  them."  An  appeal  to  arms  was  prevented, 
by  an  assurance  on  the  part  of  the  suspected  herdsmen,  that 
they  had  no  intention  to  offer  sacrifices,  but  were  ready  to 
repair  for  all  religious  usages  to  the  place  where  the  ark  of 
the  covenant  should  be  deposited. 

In  surveying  the  wonders  which  crowd  the  banks  of  the 
Nile  from  Meroe  to  Memphis,  we  are  struck  with  the  re- 
flection that  the  wealth,  power,  and  genius,  whence  they 
derived  their  origin,  have  entirely  passed  away.  In  some, 
portions  of  that  extensive  tract  a  race  little  superior  to  sav- 
ages pass  a  rude  and  precarious  life,  ignorant  of  the  arts, 
and  insensible  equally  to  the  beauty  and  the  magnificence 
of  the  ruins  which  they  tread  under  foot.  They  have  ceased 
even  to  claim  connexion  with  the  people  who  raised  the 
splendid  monuments  of  Ebsarnboul,  Karnac,  and  Dendera  ; 
and,  accordingly,  they  ascribe  the  anxiety  which  our  coun- 
trymen display,  in  regard  to  those  remains  of  antiquity,  to 
the  desire  of  visiting  the  tombs  of  a  European  nation,  who 
are  supposed  by  them  to  have  built  the  temples  and  sculp- 
tured the  obelisks. 

The  Nubians,  especially,  have  relapsed  into  that  low 
condition  where  even  curiosity  has  become  dormant,  and  in 
which  the  eye  can  be  every  day  fixed  on  the  noblest 
works  of  human  ingenuity  without  suggesting  any  specula- 
tion as  to  their  authors,  their  epoch,  or  their  design. 
Throughout  the  whole  world,  in  short,  there  is  no  greater 
contrast  to  be  witnessed  than  between  what  now  is,  and 
what  must  once  have  been,  in  Ethiopia  and  Egypt.  There 
is  even  great  difficulty  in  passing,  by  an  effort  of  thought, 
from  the  one  condition  to  the  other,  through  the  various 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  195 

scenes  of  conquest  and  desolation  which  seem  necessary  to 
have  produced  the  effects  we  contemplate.  We  might 
question  history,  but  we  should  receive  no  answer,  as  to 
events  and  characters  which  the  lapse  of  three  thousand 
years  has  thrown  into  an  impenetrable  obscurity.  Sur- 
rounded with  darkness  we  grope  our  way  amid  superb 
structures,  dedicated  to  gods  and  heroes  whose  names  make 
but  a  faint  impression  on  our  ears  ;  and  we  satisfy  ourselves 
with  the  conclusion,  that  a  great  people  had  existed  there 
before  the  era  of  recorded  time,  whose  literature  and  phi- 
losophy have  been  outlived  by  their  architectural  monuments. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Religion  and  Literature  of  Ethiopia. 

Abyssinia  received  Christianity  at  an  early  Period— Influence  of  Re- 
ligion on  its  Political  State  and  Civil  History— Story  of  Frumentius — 
Jewish  Ceremonies  mixed  with  the  Gospel— Arian  Heresy — Constan- 
ts— Invasion  of  Arabia — Heresy  of  Eutyches — Conversion  of  Nu- 
bians—Justinian and  Theodore— Zara  Jacob— His  Letter  to  the  Monks 
of  Jerusalem— Council  of  Florence — Pagans  of  Samon — Arrival  of 
Pae^— Dispute  with  Clergy — The  King  Za  Denghel  becomes  Roman 
Catholic — His  Letter  to  the  Pope— Accession  of  Susneus— His  Adher- 
ence to  the  Roman  Form — Rebellion — Formal  Declaration  in  favour 
of  Popery— Death  of  Paez— Arrival  of  Mendez— His  Proceedings  as 
Patriarch— Encroachments  and  Tyranny— The  King  alarmed  insists 
on  Moderation— Rebellion — Basilides,  or  Facilidas.  the  Prince — Hopes 
of  the  People— Letter  from  the  Pope— Additional  Concessions— Popery 
abolish -d — Jesuits  banished  —  Capuchins—  Franciscan  Friars  —  At- 
tempt by  Louis  XIV. — Poncet  and  Brevedent— Massacre  of  Catholic 
Priests— Arrival  of  Abuna — His  Proceedings — The  Psalter— Doctrines 
of  Abyssinians — Zaga  Zaba,  Ludoif,  and  Lobo — Mode  of  Worship — 
Form  of  Churches— Circumcision,  Baptism,  and  Communion — Prayers 
for  the  Dead — Fixedness  of  Manners  and  Habits — Sabbath — Chro- 
nology— Last  Attempt  of  Catholics — Literature — Resemblance  to  Jews 
— Books — Philosophy — Law — Medicine— Modern  Translation. 

We  have  alluded  to  the  singular  fact,  that  Abyssinia, 
which  received  the  Christian  faith  at  an  early  period,  has 
retained  it,  amid  a  great  variety  of  fortune,  down  to  the 
present  day.  The  arms  and  the  policy  of  the  Moslem, 
which  prevailed  in  Egypt,  Asia  Minor,  the  northern  shores 


196  RELIGION   AND 

of  Africa,  and  even  over  a  large  portion  of  Greece,  could  not 
make  any  permanent  impression  among  the  Ethiopians. 
A  furious  war,  it  is  true,  raged  between  the  Mohammedan 
chief,  who  took  possession  of  the  country  near  Adel,  and 
the  king  of  the  Axumites  ;  but  it  does  not  appear  that,  either 
by  conquest  or  negotiation,  the  tenets  of  the  Koran  were 
ever  admitted  into  any  of  the  Abyssinian  provinces. 

This  distinction  will  be  found  the  more  remarkable, 
when  we  consider  the  imperfect  means  which  were  used  for 
establishing  the  gospel  in  that  remote  kingdom,  and  we 
may  add,  the  rather  defective  form  in  which  it  was  received 
by  the  new  converts.  The  principles  of  Christianity  were 
not  expounded  there  by  the  apostles  nor  by  their  personal 
missionaries,  as  at  Corinth,  Ephesus,  Galatia,  and  Thessa- 
lonica  ;  and  yet,  while  the  seven  churches  of  Asia  have  left 
nothing  but  a  name  in  the  page  of  ecclesiastical  history, 
the  believers  in  Ethiopia,  who  fifteen  hundred  years  ago 
"  stretched  out  their  hands  unto  God,"  still  glory  in  their 
ancient  creed. 

There  is  another  peculiarity  in  regard  to  this  people,  so 
far  at  least  as  their  connexion  with  this  part  of  the  world  is 
considered,  which  is,  that  it  is  chiefly  through  the  medium 
of  their  religious  attachments  their  civil  affairs  have  been 
made  known  among  European  nations.  So  soon  as  it  was 
rumoured  that  a  Christian  state  existed  on  the  eastern  coast 
of  Africa,  surrounded  by  bigoted  Mussulmans  and  infidel 
pagans,  a  deep  interest  was  excited  among  all  classes  of 
men.  Kings,  warriors,  merchants,  and  navigators,  were 
seized  with  a  pious  curiosity  to  know  the  actual  condition 
of  a  people  whose  history,  they  concluded,  must  be  strange, 
and  who,  if  they  should  require  it,  were  entitled  as  brethren 
in  the  faith  to  their  aid  and  protection.  The  legend,  too, 
respecting  Prester  John,  had  its  full  influence  in  animating 
their  zeal  in  the  search  of  a  monarch  whose  name  was  asso- 
ciated in  their  minds  with  every  sentiment  of  veneration  and 
wonder. 

We  have  already  had  more  than  one  occasion  to  allude  to 
the  story  of  Frumentius,  \«ho  is  usually  supposed  to  have 
conveyed  to  Abyssinia  the  knowledge  of  the  Christian  faith. 
In  company  with  a  fellow-student  he  was  under  the  care  of 
Meropius,  a  philosopher,  v/hen  the  ship  in  which  they  sailed 
happened  to  be  wrecked  on  the  Ethiopian  coast.     The  pre- 


LITERATURE    OF   ETHIOPIA.  197 

ceptor  was  murdered  by  the  barbarians,  but  the  lives  of  the 
two  pupils  were  spared  ;  after  which  occurrence  the  young 
men  were  conducted  to  Axum,  where  their  accomplishments 
soon  procured  for  them  an  honourable  employment  at  court. 
It  is  even  said  that,  through  the  influence  of  the  queen, 
Frumentius  was  appointed  tutor  to  the  prince  her  son,  dur- 
ing whose  minority  the  seeds  of  the  gospel  were  sown  by 
the  zealous  stranger. 

On  his  return  to  Egypt  he  communicated  to  Athanasius, 
who  at  that  time  filled  the  patriarch's  chair,  the  success 
which  had  attended  his  first  endeavours  to  disseminate  the 
principles  of  the  true  religion.  To  enable  him  to  complete 
the  good  work  which  he  had  so  auspiciously  begun,  he  was 
forthwith  clothed  with  the  episcopal  character,  and  sent  back 
as  Bishop  of  Axum.  But  his  progress  was  soon  afterward 
interrupted  by  the  prevalence  of  the  Arian  heresy,  which, 
being  patronised  by  Constantius,  was  so  extensively  propa- 
gated throughout  the  empire,  that  at  length  it  signalized 
its  triumph  by  the  degradation  of  the  distinguished  divine, 
who,  as  we  have  just  noticed,  occupied  the  patriarchal 
throne  of  Alexandria.  We  have  repeatedly  mentioned  the 
•letter  which  the  emperor  wrote  to  the  brothers  Aizana  and 
Saizana,  who  exercised  a  joint  power  at  Axum,  denouncing 
their  bishop,  and  requesting  that  he  might  be  sent  to  the 
Egyptian  capital,  where,  "  by  conversing  familiarly  with 
Venerable  George  and  other  learned  men,  he  would  reap 
great  benefits,  and  return  to  his  see  well  instructed  in  all 
ecclesiastical  discipline."  This  invitation  or  command  re- 
ceived no  attention  either  from  the  prelate  or  his  sovereigns  ; 
and  hence  the  church  of  Ethiopia  continued  orthodox,  while 
the  majority  of  the  oriental  Christians  were  beguiled  into 
error  by  the  reasoning  of  Arius,  or  by  the  authority  of  the 
father  of  Constantine.* 

It  cannot  be  concealed,  that  with  the  doctrines  of  Chris- 
tianity they  either  incorporated  many  ceremonies  which  they 
had  borrowed  from  the  Jews,  or,  it  may  be,  they  received  the 
gospel  mixed  with  many  of  their  rites,  which  had  not,  in 
the  early  period  of  the  Egyptian  church,  been  entirely  sepa- 
rated from  it.     It  is  equally  certain,  however,  that  the  faith 


*  Ludolfi  Hist.  Ethiop.  lib.  iii.  c.  2.    The  names  of  the  royal  brothers 
in  the  language  of  the  country  were  Abreha  and  Atz.beha. 
R2 


198  RELIGION    AND 

which  they  adopted  with  enthusiasm  they  maintained  with 
great  firmness  ;  for  they  not  only  withstood  the  importunity 
employed  by  the  imperial  envoys  to  draw  them  aside  from 
the  truth,  but  even  employed  their  arms  to  defend  the  be- 
lievers in  Arabia  against  the  enemies  of  the  cross.  So 
highly  esteemed,  indeed,  were  their  zeal  and  influence,  that 
the  head  of  the  Roman  empire  did  not  regard  it  as  unsuit- 
able to  his  dignity  to  solicit  their  co-operation  in  opposing 
the  Persians,  aided  by  the  infidel  Hebrews,  who  threatened 
the  eastern  shore  of  the  Red  Sea. 

The  interval  between  the  reign  of  Constantius  and  the 
government  of  Justinian  presents  to  the  historian  little  more 
than  an  absolute  blank.  We  read,  it  is  true,  that  from  time 
to  time  mariy  holy  men  went  from  Egypt,  who  were  inva- 
riably received  with  reverence  by  the  inhabitants  ;  particu- 
larly nine  of  great  sanctity,  about  the  year  480,  whose  mem- 
ory is  still  respected  in  the  province  of  Tigre,  where  a  cor- 
responding number  of  churches  were  built  and  called  after 
their  names.* 

But  at  length  the  disputes  which  tore  asunder  the  great 
body  of  the  Greek  church  reached  the  remote  provinces  of 
Abyssinia.  The  theological  error,  which  is  associated  with 
the  name  of  Eutyches,  respecting  the  nature  of  Christ, 
found  a  favourable  reception  in  Egypt,  and  was  communi- 
cated by  the  patriarch  to  the  subordinate  prelate  of  Axum. 
The  opinion  that  the  Redeemer  consisted  of  only  one  na- 
ture, as  the  Divine  Word,  and  partook  not  in  any  degree  of 
the  qualities  of  flesh  and  blood,  is  known  among  ecclesias- 
tical writers  as  the  monophysite  heresy  ;  and  which,  though 
it  was  variously  modified  by  subsequent  authors,  at  no  time 
ceased  to  respect  the  essential  point  of  faith  now  described. 
As  it  seems  to  be  characteristic  of  the  Abyssinians  never  to 
relinquish  what  they  have  once  been  taught  on  sufficient  au 
thority,  they  resisted  every  attempt  made  by  the  orthodox 
party  to  induce  them  to  an  abjuration  of  their  heretical 
notions. 

Nubia,  more  recently  converted  to  our  holy  religion,  was 
infected  with  the  same  errors  and  subjected  to  the  same  con- 
troversies.    It  unfortunately  happened  that  Justinian  and 


*  Geddes's  Church  History  of  Ethiopia,  p.  14.;  Ludolphi  Hist.  Ethiop. 
lib.  iii.  c.  3.     ' 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  199 

his  consort  had  adopted  opposite  conclusions  on  the  great 
subject,  the  discussion  of  which  so  greatly  divided  the  Chris- 
tian world  ;  and  as  the  zeal  of  the  latter  was  not  less  active 
than  that  of  the  emperor  himself,  she  propagated  her  fa- 
vourite views  from  the  Danube  to  the  borders  of  Sennaar. 
It  was  recommended  to  her  to  bring  within  the  pale  of  the 
church  all  the  black  nations  who  dwell  beyond  the  tropic  of 
Cancer  ;  a  pious  undertaking,  in  which  she  soon  found  her- 
self emulated  by  her  husband.  Rival  missionaries  were  ac- 
cordingly despatched  at  the  same  time  ;  but  the  empress, 
from  a  motive  of  love  or  of  fea*r,  was  more  effectually 
obeyed  ;  and  the  orthodox  priest  was  detained  by  the  gov- 
ernor of  the  Thebaid,  while,  the  King  of  Nubia  and  his 
court  were  hastily  baptized  into  the  faith  of  Eutyches.  The 
tardy  envoy  of  Justinian  was  received  and  dismissed  with 
honour  ;  but  when  he  denounced  the  heresy  and  treason 
which  had  been  perpetrated  in  defiance  of  his  master,  the 
negro  prince  was  taught  to  reply,  that  he  would  never  aban- 
don his  brethren,  the  true  believers,  to  the  persecuting  agents 
of  the  Synod  of  Chalcedon.  During  several  ages  the 
bishops  were  named  and  consecrated  by  the  Patriarch  of 
Alexandria  :  as  late  as  the  twelfth  century  the  profession 
of  the  gospel  was  preserved  ;  and  at  the  present  day  we  can 
still  trace,  along  the  banks  of  the  Upper  Nile,  the  ruins  of 
Christian  churches,  or  of  temples  which  had  occasionally 
been  employed  for  that  purpose,  and  even  a  lingering  respect 
for  ceremonies  of  which  the  real  import  has  ceased  to  be 
understood.  The  Nubians,  assailed  by  the  Moslem  and 
deriving  no  aid  from  their  parents  in  the  faith,  gradually  re- 
lapsed into  the  state  of  paganism  ;  and  at  length  some  tribes 
of  them,  who  maintained  an  intercourse  with  Egypt,  ex- 
changed the  New  Testament,  which  they  had  not  been  able 
to  read,  for  the  Koran,  whose  success  they  were  taught  to 
identify  with  the  proof  of  a  Divine  commission. 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  same  emulation  which 
distinguished  the  imperial  couple  in  behalf  of  the  Nubians 
was  not  less  efficient  in  regard  to  Abyssinia.  The  industry 
of  the  lady  was  again  successful ;  and  the  pious  Theodora 
had  the  satisfaction  of  establishing  in  that  kingdom  the 
tenets  and  discipline  of  the  Jacobites,  a  sect  who  held  the 
doctrine  of  the  one  nature.  But  we  find  from  the  history 
of  John  Malala,  that  the  zeal  of  the  emperor,  so  far  from 


200  RELIGION    AND 

being  deemed  intrusive,  was  invited  by  the  ruler  of  Ethi- 
opia. This  annalist  informs  us  that  the  king  of  the  Axum- 
ites,  when  he  had  obtained  the  victory  over  the  Arabians, 
despatched  two  of  his  relations  with  two  hundred  followers 
to  Alexandria,  for  the  purpose  of  soliciting  from  Justinian 
that  a  bishop  and  some  holy  men  might  be  sent  to  instruct 
his  subjects  in  the  mysteries  of  the  Christian  faith.  The 
emperor  being  informed  of  those  things  by  Licinius,  his 
viceroy  at  Alexandria,  gave  an  order  that  the  ambassadors 
should  be  allowed  to  make  choice  of  whomsoever  they 
pleased  ;  and  they  accordingly  chose  John,  the  almsgiver  of 
St.  John  in  Alexandria,  a  good  and  pious  man  about  sixty- 
two  years  of  age,  and  took  him,  then  a  bishop,  together  with 
several  holy  men,  to  their  country  to  Anda,  or  Ameda,  their 
king.* 

But  the  army  of  Elesbaan,  the  same  who  is  called  Anda 
by  the  chronographer  just  quoted,  could  not  support  the 
cause  of  the  believers  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  gulf,  and 
hence  a  path  was  left  open  for  the  introduction  of  a  new 
religion.  If  a  Christian  power,  says  a  great  writer,  had 
been  maintained  in  Arabia,  Mohammed  must  have  been 
crushed  in  his  cradle,  and  Abyssinia  would  have  prevented 
a  revolution  which  has  changed  the  civil  and  religious  state 
of  the  world,  t 

In  following  the  current  of  events,  as  they  respect  the 
ecclesiastical  affairs  of  Ethiopia,  we  have  to  lament  the 
total  absence  of  historical  facts  from  the  sixth  to  the  middle 
of  the  fifteenth  century.  Coming  down  to  the  reign  of 
Zara  Jacob,  who  ascended  the  throne  about  1434,  we  find 
that  a  convent  for  Abyssinians  had  already  been  founded  at 
Jerusalem,  of  which  this  pious  monarch  greatly  increased 
the  endowments.  A  similar  privilege  was  also  obtained  at 
Rome  ;  a  fact  which  of  itself  gives  some  probability  to  the 
assertion  of  certain  Dominican  authors,  who  record  that  an 
intercourse  had  been  occasionally  maintained  between  the 
pope  and  the  sovereign  of  Axum.  We  present  to  our 
readers  a  single  specimen  of  the  correspondence  which  the 
negash  negashi,  or  king  of  kings,  thought  proper  to  carry 
on  with  the  monks  in  the  holy  city  : — 

*  Joan.  Malal.  Chronographia,  p.  168,  quoted  by  Mr.  Salt  in  his  Tra- 
vels in  Abyssinia,  p.  467. 
t  Gibbon's  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire,  vol.  be.  p.  309,  &c. 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  201 

"  I,  Zara  Jacob,  whose  name,  since  God  was  pleased  to 
place  me  on  the  throne  of  the  empire,  is  Constantine,  in  the 
eighth  year  of  my  reign,  do  bequeath  unto  you  the  land  of 
Zebla,  and  half  of  all  tributes  arising  from  it  for  two  years, 
which  amounts  to  a  hundred  ounces  of  gold,  towards  your 
food  and  raiment ;  and  do  give  it  to  the  monastery  of  Jeru- 
salem, that  it  may  be  a  memorial  of  myself  and  of  our 
Lady  Mary,  and  for  the  celebration  of  her  feasts  ;  to  wit, 
that  of  her  nativity  on  the  1st  May,  that  of  her  death  on 
the  22d  January,  and  that  of  her  translation  on  the  15th  Au- 
gust ;  as  also  of  the  feasts  of  her  Son,  our  Lord  Jesus,  on 
the  29th  December,  when  he  was  born,  to  be  celebrated  by 
you  at  Bethlehem,  together  with  the  festivities  of  his  passion 
and  lively  resurrection  from  death.  You  shall  likewise  cele- 
brate all  the  festivities  of  our  Lady  Mary,  which  in  the  book 
of  her  miracles  are  thirty-two  in  number.  And  you  shall 
furthermore  keep  a  lamp  burning  for  me  in  the  sepulchre  of 
our  Lord,  and  another  in  the  entry  thereof ;  and  so  on  the 
right  side  one,  and  on  the  left  another ;  also  at  the  place 
of  his  burial  three  ;  three  at  the  monument  of  our  Lady 
Mary  in  Gethsemane  ;  and  at  the  place  where  Mary  Mag- 
dalene saw  him  one  ;  and  in  our  chapel,  three  ;  one  also  at 
Bethlehem,  where  our  Lord  was  born  ;  and  another  at  the 
place  on  the  Mount  of  Olives  where  our  Lord  ascended. 
Let  them  all  be  maintained  at  my  charge,  and  take  care  not 
to  suffer  them  to  go  out  at  any  time,  nor  to  give  way  to  any 
person  contributing  towards  them.  And  since  I  do  rely  on 
the  bond  of  your  love,  so  let  your  prayers  and  benedictions 
be  with  me  through  all  ages.     Amen." 

His  majesty  adds  the  following  postcript,  which  seems  to 
import  more  than  meets  the  eye  : — 

"  My  beloved,  do  not  you  offer  to  say,  Light  descendeth 
only  upon  us,  that  your  glorying  in  yourselves  be  not  in 
vain  ;  since  you  know  that  evil  attends  glorying,  and  bless- 
ing humility." 

The  reign  of  Zara  Jacob  is  further  remarkable  for  the 
part  which  his  clerical  representatives  acted  in  the  Council 
of  Florence.  At  his  desire  a  number  of  priests  were  sent 
by  the  Abba  Nicodemus,  not  only  to  protect  the  interests  of 
the  church  of  Abyssinia,  but  also  to  make  known  to  the 
sovereign  pontiff  the  sound  views  on  religion  which  were 
still  entertained  in  the  country  celebrated   for  the  pious 


202  RELIGION    AND 

docility  of  the  Ethiopian  treasurer.  These  missionaries, 
however,  adhered  to  the  opinion  of  the  Greeks  on  the  long- 
disputed  topic  of  the  procession  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which, 
as  every  one  has  heard,  created  a  schism  between  the  Chris- 
tians of  the  East  and  of  the  West.  This  embassy  was 
thought  of  sufficient  consequence  to  be  made  the  subject  of 
a  painting  in  the  Vatican  ;  to  which  work  of  art  we  are 
principally  indebted  for  our  knowledge  of  the  fact,  that  such 
a  deputation  had  been  sent  from  Eastern  Africa  to  the 
centre  of  Italy.  We  may  add,  that  from  this  time  forward 
the  Roman  communion  possessed  a  certain  influence  in 
Abyssinia,  and  disputes  on  doctrinal  points  occasionally  ex- 
ercised the  ingenuity  of  the  court  as  well  as  of  the  profes- 
sional orders. 

Although  the  established  religion  was  that  of  the  church 
of  Alexandria,  a  variety  of  superstitions  prevailed  in  different 
parts  of  the  country.  On  the  coast  of  the  Red  Sea,  and  in 
the  low  provinces  adjoining  to  the  kingdom  of  Adel,  the 
greatest  part  of  the  inhabitants  were  Mohammedans  ;  and 
the  convenience  of  trade  had  induced  these  enemies  of  the 
Christian  creed  to  settle  in  many  villages  throughout  the 
high  country,  especially  in  Wogara  and  the  neighbourhood 
of  Gondar.  In  Dembea,  in  the  rugged  district  of  Samen, 
and  near  the  sources  of  the  Nile,  a  species  of  sabaism  still 
gave  exercise  to  the  devotional  feelings  of  the  people  ;  while 
some,  who  had  either  failed  to  keep  pace  with  the  progress 
of  their  countrymen  or  had  anticipated  a  more  advanced 
stage  of  improvement,  offered  up  their  adoration  to  the  cow 
and  the  serpent.  The  king,  offended  at  a  debasement  so 
gross  and  irrational,  ordered  these  rude  worshippers  to  be 
seized  and  brought  before  him.  Sitting  in  judgment,  with 
the  heads  of  his  clergy  and  the  principal  officers  of  state 
around  him,  he  had  the  satisfaction  to  hear  all  the  culprits 
capitally  convicted  and  ordered  for  execution.  A  proclama- 
tion from  his  majesty  immediately  followed,  declaring  that 
all  persons  who  did  not  carry  upon  their  right  hands  an 
amulet  with  these  words,  "  I  renounce  the  devil  for  Christ 
our  Lord,"  should  forfeit  their  personal  estates  and  be  liable 
to  corporal  punishment.* 

This  expedient  of  Zara  Jacob — the  adoption  of  a  heathen- 
ish practice  to  effect  a  Christian  object — might  have  been 

*  Bruce,  vol.iii.  p.  260. 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  203 

justified  by  the  principle  stated  by  St.  Paul,  that  the  whole 
Jewish  system  of  rites  and  ordinances  was  added  to  the 
patriarchal  religion,  "  because  of  transgressions  ;"  that  is, 
it  was  imposed  upon  an  idolatrous  people  to  prevent  them 
from  rushing  into  the  more  flagrant  usages  of  gentile  wor- 
ship. But  it  is  probable  that  the  zealous  monarch  knew 
not  the  full  bearing  of  the  precedent  to  which  we  have  now 
alluded. 

The  close  of  the  fifteenth  century  was  disturbed  by  the 
revival  of  opinions  similar  to  those  which  had  been  approved 
by  the  Council  of  Chalcedon.  An  assembly  of  the  clergy 
was  called,  and  those  who  denied  the  true  faith  were  either 
put  to  instant  death,  or  exposed  without  food  or  clothing  to 
perish  on  the  tops  of  the  highest  mountains. 

The  intercourse  with  Europe  which  marked  the  beginning 
of  the  following  age  led  to  a  new  series  of  events  in  the 
Abyssinian  church.  The  Portuguese,  who  by  their  valour 
and  superior  arms  defeated  the  designs  of  the  Mohammedan 
states,  claimed  the  right  of  giving  counsel  to  their  allies  in 
the  important  article  of  religion.  No  progress,  however, 
was  made  towards  this  object  till  the  arrival  of  Paez  at  the 
close  of  the  sixteenth  century.  This  able  Jesuit,  repairing 
to  the  monastery  at  Fremona,  made  himself  master  of  the 
Geez  language  in  the  first  instance,  after  which  he  began 
to  teach  others  ;  and  so  great  was  his  success  in  this  under- 
taking, that  the  fame  of  his  acquirements  reached  the  ears 
of  the  king,  whose  name  was  Za  Denghel. 

In  the  year  1 604,  accordingly,  Peter,  attended  by  only 
two  of  his  young  disciples,  presented  himself  at  court, 
which  was  then  held  at  Dancaz.  He  was  received  by  his 
majesty  with  great  honours,  to  the  deep  mortification  of  the 
native  monks,  who  could  not  fail  to  anticipate  on  his  side  a 
still  more  important  triumph.  In  a  dispute  held  next  day 
before  the  sovereign,  Paez  thought  it  enough  to  produce  the 
two  boys  as  his  only  advocates  for  the  Catholic  faith,  and 
as  fully  qualified  to  silence  all  the  theologians  in  Abyssinia. 
The  result  corresponded  to  his  expectation,  and  did  not  fail 
to  establish  his  influence  to  a  greater  extent  than  ever  in 
the  eyes  of  the  royal  family.  Mass  was  then  said  agreeably 
to  the  usage  of  the  church  of  Rome,  which  was  followed  by 
a  sermon, — among  the  first  preached  in  that  country, — so  far 
surpassing  in  elegance  and  purity  of  diction  any  thing  yet 


204  RELIGION    AND 

pronounced  in  the  learned  language,  that  all  the  hearers 
began  to  look  upon  this  as  the  first  miracle  on  the  part  of 
the  missionary.  Za  Denghel  was  so  delighted  with  it,  that 
he  not  only  determined  to  embrace  the  Roman  Catholic 
religion,  but  instantly  made  known  this  resolution  to  Pacz 
himself,  under  an  oath  of  secrecy  that  he  should  conceal  it 
for  some  time.  Proceeding  to  realize  his  views,  he  prohibited 
the  observance  of  Saturday,  which,  as  the  Jewish  sabbath, 
had  till  that  period  been  kept  holy,  and  directed  letters  to  be 
addressed  to  the  pope  and  the  kings  of  Spain  and  Portugal, 
announcing  his  conversion  and  soliciting  their  friendship.* 

But  the  Abyssinian  monarch  soon  discovered  that  his 
subjects  were  not  yet  prepared  to  accompany  him  in  such 
sweeping  innovations.  The  abuna,  stimulated  by  Za  Se- 
lasse"  a  brave  commander,  absolved  the  people  from  their 
allegiance,  and  sanctioned  an  open  rebellion.  The  issue  of 
the  wrar  was  favourable  to  the  insurgents ;  the  emperor  was 
slain,  his  troops  were  dispersed,  and  the  most  devoted  of  his 
friends  shared  his  fate  on  the  field  of  battle. 

As  the  letter  addressed  by  Za  Denghel  to  Clement  VIII. 
is  not  unworthy  of  notice,  we  lay  before  the  reader  the  fol- 
lowing extract  : — "  After  we  had  ascended  the  throne,  a 
certain  friar  whose  name  is  Peter  Paez,  of  the  society  of 
Jesus,  and  who  hath  the  yoke  of  the  law  of  Christ  upon  his 
neck,  did  visit  us  ;  and  has  given  us  a  very  particular 
account  how  your  holiness  labours  even  to  the  shedding  of 
your  blood  to  destroy  sin.  May  the  eternal  God  who  hath 
begun  this  work  bring  it  to  a  happy  issue  !  He  hath  like- 
wise told  us  that  you  are  always  ready  to  assist  Christians 
who  are  in  necessity,  and  to  afford  them  strength  and  com- 
fort ;  having  learned  the  lesson  of  St.  Paul,  who,  in  his 
Epistle  to  the  Galatians,  saith,  While  we  have  time  let  us 
do  good  to  all  men,  but  chiefly  to  those  who  r.ve  of  the  house- 
hold of  faith ;  for  which  reason  your  holiness  assists  Chris- 
tian kings  chiefly.  Wherefore,  since  God  hath  been  pleased 
to  bestow  upon  us  the  empire  of  our  fathers,  we  are  desirous 
of  entering  into  a  strict  friendship  with  you  and  with  our 
brother  Philip  king  of  Spain  ;  and,  in  order  to  make  it  the 
closer  and  more  lasting,  we  do  wish  that  he  would  send 
his  daughter  hither  to  be  married  to  our  son,  and  with  her 

*  Bruce,  vol.  iii.  p.  264. 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  205 

some  soldiers  to  help  us  :  For  we  have  infidel  enemies  called 
Galla,  who  when  we  go  against  them  flee  before  us  ;  but,  so 
soon  as  our  back  is  turned  are  making  inroads  upon  us  again. 
For  the  destruction  of  this  enemy  it  is  that  we  desire  to  have 
some  troops  from  you,  with  artificers  of  all  trades,  and  fathers 
to  instruct  us,  that  we  may  be  of  one  heart  and  one  body  ; 
and  that  the  faith  of  Christ  which  is  destroyed  by  the  hands 
of  infidels  may  be  established,  and  that  there  may  be  peace 
and  love  among  us."* 

After  the  short  reign  of  Jacob  the  throne  was  occupied 
by  Socinios  or  Susneus,  or,  as  he  is  more  frequently  de- 
nominated, the  Sultan  Segued.  Induced  by  reasons  similar 
to  those  which  led  Za  Denghel  to  relinquish  the  communion 
of  Alexandria,  he  also  declared  his  adherence  to  the  Ro- 
man Catholic  form.  He  determined  at  all  events  to  attach 
the  Portuguese  to  his  interests,  whose  leaders,  he  was 
aware,  could  not  be  influenced  by  any  other  consideration 
so  readily  as  by  that  of  religion.  For  this  reason  he  made 
advances  to  their  priests,  and  sent  for  Paez  to  court ;  where, 
after  the  usual  disputes  about  the  pope's  supremacy  and  the 
two  natures  in  Christ,  mass  was  said  and  a  sermon  preached, 
— the  common  method  of  acknowledging  submission  to 
Rome.  To  crown  their  triumph,  the  Jesuits  procured  from 
the  king  a  grant  of  land  near  the  lake  Dembea,  on  which 
they  erected  a  stately  convent. 

But  this  important  point  was  not  carried  without  much 
opposition.  The  abuna  complained  to  the  king  that  un- 
usual and  irregular  things  had  been  permitted  without  his 
knowledge  ;  and  that  conferences  upon  articles  of  faith  had 
been  held  without  asking  him  to  be  present,  or  even  allow- 
ing him  to  afford  to  his  clergy  the  advantage  of  his  assistance 
in  the  controversies  which  ensued.  Socinios,  who  did  not 
believe  that  the  eloquence  or  learning  of  the  bishop  would 
materially  affect  the  issue  of  the  question,  ordered  that  the 
disputations  should  be  renewed.  The  king,  after  a  patient 
hearing,  declared  that  the  Abyssinian  orators  were  van- 
quished, and  signified  it  as  his  sovereign  pleasure,  that  for 
the  future  no  one  should  deny  that  there  are  two  natures  in 
Christ,  distinct  in  themselves,  but  divinely  united  in  one 
person  ;  declaring,  at  the  same  time,  that  should  any  person 

*  Geddes,  p.  251. 
S 


206  RELIGION    AND 

thereafter  deny  or  call  in  doubt  this  solemn  doctrine,  he 
would  chastise  him  for  seven  years.  On  the  other  hand  the 
abuna,  supported  by  Emana  Christos  the  half-brother  of  his 
majesty,  published  a  sentence  of  excommunication,  and 
affixed  it  to  the  door  of  one  of  the  churches  belonging  to  the 
palace,  in  which  they  denounced  all  persons  as  accursed  who 
should  maintain  two  natures  in  Christ,  or  vindicate  any  of 
the  errors  of  the  Roman  See. 

A  conspiracy  was  immediately  formed  under  the  auspices 
of  the  abuna,  Emana  Christos,  Kefia  Wahad  the  master  of 
the  household,  and  Julius  the  governor  of  Tigre.  Their 
intention  was  to  murder  the  king  in  his  own  house  ;  but  this 
plan  being  defeated  they  had  recourse  to  arms,  and  led  their 
troops  into  the  field.  Julius  and  the  primate  were  killed  in 
the  first  battle,  and  the  insurrection  was  for  the  time  sup- 
pressed. Emana,  whom  the  royal  party  attempted  to  assail 
with  the  weapons  of  argument,  replied,  that  he  stood  forward 
in  defence  of"  the  ancient  faith  of  his  country,  which  was 
now  without  reason  trodden  under  foot  in  favour  of  a  creed 
which  he  described  as  a  false  one,  if  they  understood  it,  and 
a  useless  one  if  they  did  not.  He  admitted  that  he  was 
aware  of  his  danger ;  but  neither  his  connexion  with  the 
king,  nor  his  being  related  to  Sela  Christos,  could  weigh 
with  him  against  his  duty  to  God  and  his  native  land.  The 
emperor  and  his  brother,  he  added,  might  be  right  in  em- 
bracing the  Romish  belief,  because  they  were  convinced  of 
its  truth  ;  he  had  used  however  the  same  means,  had  heard 
the  same  arguments  urged  by  the  same  fathers,  which,  un- 
luckily for  him,  had  only  more  fully  satisfied  his  mind  that 
their  tenets  were  erroneous.* 

Socinios,  a  conqueror  both  in  the  field  and  in  the  theo- 
logical chair,  became  more  decided  in  his  adherence  to  the 
new  faith.  To  his  proclamation,  establishing  the  creed  of 
Chalcedon  as  to  the  two  natures  of  the  Redeemer,  he  added 
an  injunction  that  "  all  out-door  work,  such  as  ploughing  and 
sowing,  should  be  publicly  followed  by  the  husbandman  on 
Saturday,  under  penalty  of  paying  a  web  of  cotton  cloth  for 
the  first  omission  ;  and  the  second  offence  was  to  be  pun- 
ished by  a  confiscation  of  moveables,  and  the  crime  not  to  be 
pardoned  for  seven  years," — the  greatest  punishment  for 

*  Bruce,  vol.  iii.  p.  346. 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  207 

misdemeanors  in  Abyssinia.  In  order  to  show  that  he  was 
in  earnest,  he  ordered  the  tongue  of  a  monk  to  be  cut  out 
for  supporting  the  monophysite  doctrine  ;  and  Buco  Damo, 
one  of  his  principal  generals,  was  beaten  with  rods  and 
degraded  for  observing  the  rest  of  the  Jewish  Sabbath. 
Nay,  it  is  said  he  was  urged  by  the  Jesuits  to  pronounce  a 
curse  on  the  soul  of  Zara  Jacob  his  great-grandfather,  for 
not  having,  at  the  early  period  when  he  possessed  the  throne, 
strictly  conformed  to  the  ritual  recommended  by  the  Por- 
tuguese.* 

It  was  not,  however,  until  he  had  triumphed  over  several 
rebellious  chiefs  in  the  different  provinces  that  the  sultan,  as 
he  was  pleased  to  be  addressed,  formally  avowed  himself  a 
member  of  the  Roman  church.  Having  come  to  this  reso- 
lution he  sent  for  Paez,  who  had  already  acted  as  his  con- 
fessor, and  communicated  it  to  him  ;  stating  also  as  a  proof 
of  his  sincerity,  that  he  had  put  away  all  his  wives  except 
the  first,  the  mother  of  his  eldest  son,  who  was  destined  to 
succeed  him  in  the  empire.  The  Jesuit  having  accomplished 
this  great  object,  the  main  purpose  of  his  mission,  returned 
to  his  convent  with  the  words  of  pious  exultation  in  his 
mouth,  "  Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace !" 
No  sooner  did  he  arrive  at  the  establishment  on  which  he 
had  bestowed  so  much  labour,  than  he  was  seized  with  a 
putrid  fever,  the  effect  of  fatigue  at  an  unfavourable  season, 
which  put  an  end  to  his  life  on  the  3d  of  May,  1623.  He 
had  been  seven  years  a  captive  in  Arabia,  and  nineteen  a 
missionary  in  Abyssinia  during  the  worst  of  times,  and  had 
always  extricated  himself  from  the  most  perilous  situations 
with  honour  to  his  fraternity  and  advantage  to  his  religion,  t 

The  open  renunciation  of  the  Alexandrian  faith  on  the 
part  of  Socinios,  accompanied  as  it  was  with  a  furious 
attack  on  the  clergy  of  the  whole  kingdom,  was  followed  by 
another  war,  in  which  some  brave  officers  and  a  great  num- 
ber of  soldiers  were  sacrificed  to  the  demon  of  bigotry. 
The  royal  arms  were  once  more  victorious  ;  and  the  joy 
which  arose  from  such  continued  success  was  soon  after- 
ward greatly  increased  by  the  arrival  of  Alphonso  Mendez, 

*  Bruce,  vol.  iii.  p.  350 ;  Geddes,  p.  24. 

t  Bruce,  iii  p.  355.  "In  person  he  was  very  tall  and  strong,  but  lean 
from  continual  labour  and  abstinence.  He  was  red-faced,  which  Tellez 
says  proceeded  from  the  religious  warmth  of  his  heart." 


208  RELIGION   AND 

who  had  been  consecrated  at  Lisbon  as  head  of  the  Ethiopian 
church.  On  his  appearance  at  Gongora,  the  monastery 
founded  by  Paez,  he  was  graciously  received  by  the  king, 
who  placed  him  on  his  right-hand  on  a  throne  equal  in 
height  to  his  own,  and  fixed  the  day  for  taking  the  oath  of 
submission  to  the  See  of  Rome. 

On  the  11th  of  February,  1626,  this  ceremony  was  com- 
pleted with  great  ostentation  and  parade.  The  new  patri- 
arch, as  a  mark  of  his  superiority  to  the  abuna,  preached  a 
sermon  in  the  Portuguese  language  on  the  supremacy  of  the 
chair  of  St.  Peter  over  all  Christian  communities.  He  took 
pains,  at  the  same  time,  to  adorn  his  harangue  with  many 
Latin  quotations  ;  a  display  of  scholarship  which  is  said  to 
have  had  a  wonderful  effect  on  the  minds  of  the  king  and 
his  courtiers,  not  one  of  whom  understood  a  word  either  of 
Latin  or  Portuguese.  After  a  suitable  declaration  of  his 
faith  and  adherence  to  the  religion  of  the  West,  Socinios, 
with  the  New  Testament  spread  open  before  him,  proceeded 
to  take  the  following  oath  : — "  We,  Sultan  Segued,  emperor 
of  Ethiopia,  do  believe  and  confess  that  St.  Peter,  prince  of 
the  Apostles,  was  constituted  by  Christ  our  Lord  head  of  the 
whole  Christian  church  ;  and  that  he  gave  him  the  princi- 
pality and  dominion  over  the  whole  world  by  saying  to  him, 
Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  will  I  build  my  church , 
and  I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  : 
and  again,  when  he  said,  Keep  my  sheep.  Also  we  believe 
and  confess  that  the  pope  of  Rome,  lawfully  elected,  is  the 
true  successor  of  St.  .Peter,  the  apostle,  in  government ; 
that  he  holdeth  the  same  power,  dignity,  and  primacy,  in  the 
whole  Christian  church  :  And  to  the  holy  father  Urban,  the 
eighth  of  that  name,  by  the  mercy  of  God,  pope,  and  our 
lord,  and  to  his  successors  in  the  government  of  the  church, 
we  do  promise,  offer,  and  swear  true  obedience,  and  with 
humility  subject  at  his  feet  our  person  and  empire.  So  help 
us  God,  and  these  holy  gospels  before  us  !"* 

*  Geddes's  Church  History  of  Ethiopia,  p.  342;  Ludolfi  Hist.  Ethiop. 
lib.  iii.  c.  12.  The  patriarch  in  his  sermon  introduced  the  following 
statement : — "  There  are  four  principal  chairs  iu  the  world,  which  are  as 
the  four  rivers  that  flow  out  of  Paradise,  or  as  the  four  universal 
winds,  or  as  the  four  elements  ;  but  above  all  the  chair  of  St,  Peter  has 
the  dignity  and  primacy;  and  in  the  second  place  that  of  St.  Mark  at 
Alexandria  ;  in  the  third  place  that  of  St.  John ;  in  the  fourth  that  of 
Antioch,  which  was  also  St.  Peter's,  from  which  four  all  the  other 


LITERATURE    OF   ETHIOPIA.  209 

This  act  of  submission  on  the  part  of  the  king  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  similar  ceremony,  as  applied  to  the  princes, 
governors,  officers,  ministers,  and  monks,  who  did  "  promise, 
offer,  and  swear  the  same  obedience."  The  duties  of  the 
day  were  concluded  with  an  excommunication  pronounced 
by  Mendez  against  those  who  should  at  any  time  violate 
their  oaths.  He  likewise  issued  two  proclamations,  the  one 
prohibiting  all  Abyssinian  priests  from  performing  any 
ecclesiastical  office  before  they  had  presented  themselves 
officially  to  him  ;  and  the  other  commanding  all  the  subjects 
of  the  empire,  upon  pain  of  death,  to  embrace  popery,  and 
to  discover  all  such  as  adhered  to  their  ancient  religion  ; 
enjoining  also  the  observance  of  Lent  and  Easter  according 
to  the  Roman  manner  and  time. 

Having  the  royal  power  transferred  to  his  hands  for  all 
ecclesiastical  purposes,  the  patriarch  did  not  fail  to  employ 
it  for  the  accomplishment  of  his  own  views.  He  directed 
that  all  the  clergy  should  be  reordained,  and  their  churches 
consecrated  anew  ;  that  all  persons,  children  and  adults, 
should  be  rebaptized ;  that  the  moveable  feasts  and  fasts 
should  be  reduced  to  the  calendar  of  Rome  ;  and  finally,  that 
circumcision,  polygamy,  and  divorce,  should  be  abrogated 
for  ever.  It  was  moreover  announced  that  all  questions 
arising  from  the  discussion  of  such  matters,  and  which  were 
formerly  understood  to  belong  to  the  jurisdiction  of  civil 
courts,  should  thereafter  be  decided  at  his  tribunal  ex- 
clusively. 

Imboldened  by  success,  the  patriarch  attempted  to  secure 
a  permanent  revenue  for  the  Catholic  priesthood,  arising 
from  a  territorial  domain.  It  is  however  a  fundamental  law 
of  the  Abyssinian  monarchy  that  all  the  land  belongs  to  the 
king,  and  that  no  property  of  this  nature  shall  be  permanently 
vested  in  the  church  ;  such  portions  as  are  set  apart  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  national  religion  being  resumable  at 
pleasure,  and  always  under  the  management  of  lay  com- 
missioners appointed  by  the  crown.  It  happened  that  a 
nobleman  at  court,  much  respected  for  his  rank  and  services, 
had  been  put  in  possession  of  some  fields  which  were 
formerly  occupied  by  a  Romish  monk,  who,  instead  of  ap- 
pealing to  the  civil   authority,  carried  his  cause  before  the 

bishops  are  derived."    This  he  described  as  a  canon  of  the  Council  of 
Nice. 

S2 


210  RELIGION   AND 

ecclesiastical  tribunal  of  Mendez.  This  prelate  summoned 
the  grandee  to  appear  at  his  judgment-seat,  and  to  answer 
to  the  charge  brought  against  him  by  the  complainer  ;  and 
upon  the  other  refusing  to  comply,  he  condemned  him  in  his 
absence,  and  gave  sentence  that  he  should  forthwith  restore 
the  disputed  grounds. 

Failing  in  obedience  to  this  unwonted  decision,  the  chief 
heard  himself  excommunicated  in  church  one  day  while 
attending  the  king,  and  without  ceremony  or  reserve  given 
over,  soul  and  body,  to"  the  devil.  The  nobleman,  though 
otherwise  brave,  was  so  much  affected  with  the  terms  in 
which  his  doom  was  pronounced,  that  he  instantly  fell  into 
a  swoon  ;  and  it  was  not  until  tbe  patriarch,  at  the  inter- 
cession of  his  majesty,  consented  to  withdraw  or  modify 
the  curse,  that  he  completely  recovered.  The  fierce  zeal  of 
the  bishop,  and  his  systematic  encroachment  on  the  royal 
prerogative  and  common  rights  of  the  subject,  contributed 
not  a  little  to  alienate  the  affections  of  the  people,  the  great 
mass  of  whom  were  still  attached  to  the  ancient  form  of 
worship.  But  their  indignation  was  still  more  excited  by 
another  instance  of  intemperate  bigotry,  as  applied  to  the 
body  of  a  deceased  monk,  the  superior  of  the  convent  at 
Devra  Libanos.  One  of  the  priests  of  the  new  order,  finding 
that  the  corpse  of  the  abbot  now  mentioned  was  interred 
under  the  altar  at  which  he  officiated,  represented  the 
case  to  Mendez  ;  who  distantly  declared  that  the  church 
was  defiled  by  the  burial  of  that  heretical  schismatic, 
and  suspended  the  celebration  of  divine  worship  till  the 
remains  were  actually  dug  up  and  thrown  out  of  the  sacred 
edifice  in  a  most  indecent  manner.  A  profound  discontent 
spread  throughout  the  whole  country  ;  and  from  that  moment 
the  friends  of  the  old  religion  began  to  recover  strength, 
while  the  Catholics  were  very  generally  regarded  with  hatred 
as  well  as  with  terror. 

The  king,  though  a  sincere  convert,  could  no  longer  refuse 
to  sympathize  with  the  just  fears  and  resentment  of  his 
people.  He  desired  the  patriarch  to  permit  the  use  of  the 
ancient  liturgies  of  Ethiopia,  which  had  been  altered  by 
Mendez  himself  in  every  thing  where  they  did  not  agree 
with  the  Roman  ritual.  With  this  requisition  he  was 
obliged  to  comply,  because  it  seemed  reasonable  that  men 
should  pray  to  God  in  a  language  which  they  understood, 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  211 

rather  than  in  a  foreign  tongue,  the  precise  import  of  which 
they  could  not  comprehend.  But  this  concession  to  the 
wishes  of  the  natives  weakened  the  power  of  the  European 
priests ;  for  no  sooner  were  the  former  allowed  to  use  their 
own  books  of  devotion  than  they  rejected  the  emendations 
of  the  stranger,  and  adhered  exclusively  to  their  wonted 
method. 

This  cause,  however,  which  at  first  engaged  the  attention 
only  of  churchmen,  and  a  few  of  the  more  zealous  members 
of  the  court,  was  finally  decided  in  the  field  of  battle.  The 
governors  of  provinces,  whose  allegiance  was  bound  to  the 
throne  by  very  weak  ties,  seized  the  occasion  for  breaking 
out  into  rebellion  against  Socinios  ;  regarding,  perhaps,  the 
breach  that  had  been  made  on  their  ancient  faith  and  con- 
stitution by  a  privileged  body  of  foreigners  as  an  attack  on 
their  national  independence.  Tecla  Georgis,  a  son-in-law 
of  the  king,  raised  tbe  standard  of  rebellion  in  Tigre,  de- 
claring his  determination  no  longer  to  endure  the  Roman 
religion,  but  to  defend  the  church  of  Alexandria  to  the  utmost 
of  his  power.  With  the  view  at  once  of  convincing  his 
countrymen  of  his  sincerity,  and  of  precluding  all  possi- 
bility of  reconciliation  with  his  sovereign,  he  tore  down  the 
crucifixes  from  the  walls  of  churches,  defaced  all  the  orna- 
ments which  had  a  reference  to  the  late  innovations,  and 
removed  the  figures  of  popish  saints.  He  then  called  before 
him  Abba  Jacob,  his  Catholic  chaplain,  and  having  stripped 
him  of  his  sacerdotal  vestments  slew  him  with  his  own  hand. 

This  act  of  violence  was  soon  afterward  severely  pun- 
ished by  the  death  of  Tecla  Georgis,  who  was  taken 
prisoner  in  battle,  and  who  with  his  sister  fell  under  the 
hand  of  the  executioner.  But  the  suppression  of  one  re- 
bellion only  led  to  another  more  determined,  until  the  finest 
parts  of  the  empire  were  soaked  with  blood.  At  length  the 
hopes  of  the  people  were  directed  to  Basilides  or  Facilidas, 
the  king's  eldest  son,  who  to  great  military  talent  added 
much  prudence  and  moderation.  He  was  thought  unfriendly 
to  the  Catholic  party,  because  he  did  not  espouse  their 
cause  ;  yet  he  lived  with  the  Jesuits  on  such  a  footing  that 
they  themselves  knew  not  whether  to  calculate  on  his  sup- 
port or  his  enmity.  He  kept  one  of  them,  Father  Angelis, 
constantly  in  his  household,  and  treated  him  not  only  with 
respect,  but  also  with  confidence.  He  was  besides  sub- 
missive to  his  parent  in  all  things,  and  never  opposed  any 


212  RELIGION    AND 

of  his  measures  for  the  ecclesiastical  government  of  the 
state.  But  it  was  observed,  that,  when  he  received  a  flat- 
tering message  from  Urban  VIII.,  he  did  not  think  proper 
to  return  any  answer ;  while  those  who  attempted  to  pene- 
trate his  motives  saw  reason  to  conclude  that  he  would  not 
submit  to  the  restraint  imposed  on  the  sovereign  by  the 
Portuguese  missionaries,  under  the  semblance  of  iilial  rev- 
erence for  the  head  of  the  universal  church. 
'  The  expectation  that  Facilidas  would  put  an  end  to  the 
foreign  influence  which  enthralled  his  father,  induced  some 
of  the  subordinate  officers  to  practise  an  undue  severity 
towards  the  Romanists.  When,  for  example,  Serca  Christos 
was  appointed  to  the  government  of  Gojam,  a  priest  whose 
name  was  Za  Selasse  was  heard  to  say,  "  There  is  an  end 
of  the  Catholic  faith  in  this  province."  Being  called  before 
the  military  ruler,  he  was  forbidden  to  perform  mass  ac- 
cording to  the  form  employed  in  Europe.  To  this  order  he 
dutifully  submitted  ;  but  when  he  was  desired  to  renounce 
the  doctrine  of  the  two  natures  in  our  Saviour,  he  declared 
that  this  was  a  point  of  faith  which  he  could  not  surrender, 
being  convinced  that  Chrisf  was  perfect  God  and  perfect 
man.  Upon  this  the  governor  commanded  that  he  should 
be  put  to  death,  and  he  was  accordingly  thrust  through  the 
body  with  numerous  lances  ;  exclaiming,  as  long  as  he  had 
strength  to  utter  a  word,  "  God  and  man  !  God  and  man !" 
As  we  have  mentioned  the  letter  addressed  by  the  pope 
to  the  Prince  Facilidas,  we  shall,  as  it  is  not  very  long, 
submit  it  to  the  consideration  of  the  reader,  who  will  observe 
that  it  recommends  the  use  of  strong  measures  for  the 
support  of  orthodoxy. 

"Our  most  beloved  son  in  Christ,  health  and 
apostolical  benediction. 

"  The  wealth  of  Nile  floweth  to  the  glory  of  your  name  ; 
and  you,  the  son  of  the  Ethiopic  empire,  do  grow  up  in  the 
hopes  of  a  most  powerful  principality.  You  do  nevertheless 
understand,  God  having  taught  you,  how  miserable  you  had 
been  had  you  not  drunk  of  the  streams  of  the  gospel  out  of 
the  fountain  of  the  Catholic  church,  and  if  you  had  not,  by 
adoring  St.  Peter  in  the  Roman  pontificate,  been  made  the 
son  of  God,  whose  possession  and  workmanship,  the  whole 
frame  of  heaven  and  earth,  is  in  the  Roman  church.  The 
whole  choir  of  reigning  priests  and  of  obedient  natives  do 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  213 

applaud  the  heir  that  is  to  rule  in  Ethiopia  with  Christian 
virtue  ;  rejoicing  that  a  kingdom  is  prepared  for  you,  out  of 
which  your  triumphant  father,  the  sceptre  of  whose  empire 
is  the  rod  of  direction,  does  through  the  divine  assistance 
extirpate  the  synagogue  of  Satan.  You  having  been  edu- 
cated in  the  domestic  imitation  of  such  splendid  virtues,  and 
being  in  a  part  that  draws  the  eyes  of  heaven  and  earth  upon 
you,  such  counsels  are  expected  from  )our  wisdom  as  are  to 
be  like  the  lights  of  the  holy  spirit  and  the  thunderbolts  of 
the  divine  vengeance.  And  since  it  is  thus,  beloved  son,  you 
must  not  think  of  living  at  ease  in  3Tour  father's  palace, 
before  you  have  made  all  Ethiopia  throw  itself  at  the  feet 
of  St.  Peter,  that  so  they  may  find  heaven  in  the  Vatican  : 
For  the  doctrines  of  the  pope  will  not  be  only  the  hope  of 
salvation  to  you,  but  they  will  be  also  the  author  of  quietness 
and  the  safety  of  your  dominions.  We  do  embrace  you, 
most  dear  son,  with  the  arms  of  apostolical  charity,  and  do 
wish  you  an  obedient  people,  and  favourable  angels  amid 
the  trophies  of  your  arms  .and  the  joys  of  your  prosperity  ; 
and  we  do  from  the  bottom  of  our  heart  impart  our  fatherly 
benediction  to  you. 

"  Dated  at  Rome  at  St.  Peter's,  under  the  ri.*.g  of  the 
Fisherman,  the  twenty-eighth  of  December,  1630,  in  the 
seventh  year  of  our  pontificate."* 

Socinios,  alarmed  by  the  growing  disaffection  in  his  army, 
issued  a  proclamation,  the  object  of  which  was  to  relax  some 
part  of  the  severity  imposed  by  the  patriarch,  and  granting 
among  other  indulgences  permission  to  fast  on  Wednesday 
instead  of  Saturday,  the  latter  being  one  of  the  ancient  fes- 
tivals of  the  native  church.  Mendez,  in  a  letter,  the  tone 
of  which  was  neither  mild  nor  prudent,  remonstrated  with 
his  majesty  on  this  exercise  of  power, — warned  him  that 
God  would  call  him  to  the  strictest  account  for  this  pre- 
sumption,— and  reminded  him  of  the  words  of  Azarias,  the 
chief  priest,  to  King  Uzziah,  and  of  the  punishment  of  lep- 
rosy which  followed  the  ro}ral  encroachment  on  the  eccle- 
siastical function.  The  emperor  found  it  necessary  to 
modify  the  terms  of  his  edict,  and  to  limit  it  to  three  articles  : 
first,  that  no  liturgy  unless  amended  or  revised  by  the  patri- 

♦Geddes's  Church  History  of  Ethiopia,  p.  367;  Ludolfi  Hist.  Ethiop. 
lib.  iii.  c.  10,  11,  12  ;  Bruce,  vol.iii.  p.  400. 


214  RELIGION    AND 

arch  should  be  used  in  divine  service  ;  secondly,  that  all 
feasts,  excepting  Easter  and  those  which  depend  upon  it, 
should  be  kept  according  to  the  ancient  computation  ;  and 
thirdly,  that  whosoever  chose  might  fast  on  Wednesday  in- 
stead of  the  last  day  of  the  week.  But  while  making  this 
concession  he  did  not  conceal  from  the  prelate  his  displeasure 
at  the  application  to  him  of  the  historical  fact  respecting 
Azarias  and  Uzziah  ;  and  suggested  to  his  reverence,  that 
as  the  Roman  religion  was  introduced  into  Abyssinia  by  the 
king,  it  might  be  altered  from  time  to  time  by  the  same 
authority  which  at  first  established  it. 

After  this  compromise  Socinios  engaged  in  war  with  the 
Agows  of  Lasta,  a  fierce  people  who  occupied  the  strongest 
country  in  Abyssinia;  and  who,  from  the  steep  mountains 
on  which  they  encamped,  were  wont  to  hurl  stones  on 
their  invaders  when  attempting  to  make  their  way  through 
the  passes. 

At  first  the  emperor  sustained  severe  losses,  and  his  men, 
finding  their  arms  constantly  employed  against  their  fellow- 
citizens,  became  disheartened,  and  did  not  conceal  their 
aversion  to  such  hostilities.  Victory,  indeed,  at  length  de- 
clared in  their  favour,  and  thousands  of  the  warlike  Agows 
were  left  dead  on  the  field  ;  the  sight  of  which  suggested 
to  the  prince  the  following  remarks,  addressed  by  him  to  his 
father.  "  These  men  whom  you  see  slaughtered  on  the 
ground  were  neither  pagans  nor  Mohammedans,  at  whose 
death  we  should  rejoice :  they  were  Christians,  lately  your 
subjects  and  your  countrymen,  some  of  them  your  relations. 
This  is  not  victory  which  is  gained  over  ourselves.  In  killing 
these  you  drive  the  sword  into  your  own  entrails.  How  many 
have  you  put  to  an  untimely  death,  and  how  many  have  you 
yet  to  destroy  !  We  are  become  a  proverb  even  among  the 
infidels  and  Moors  for  carrying  on  this  war,  and  for  aposta- 
tizing, as  they  assert,  from  the  faith  of  our  ancestors." 

His  majesty  made  no  reply,  but  went  back  disconsolate 
to  Dancaz,  where  the  victory  appeared  to  be  turned  into 
mourning.  The  patriarch,  who  was  displeased  with  his 
late  proceedings,  upbraided  him  with  his  indifference  to  the 
true  faith,  alleging  that  he  had  ceased  to  support  it  at  the 
very  moment  Providence  had  put  all  his  enemies  under  his 
feet.  In  his  own  defence  the  king  recapitulated  the  bloody 
wars  in  which  he  had  engaged  for  the  Catholics,  the  myriads 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  215 

who  had  been  slain,  and  the  chiefs  who  had  been  sacrificed, 
and  ended  by  making  known  his  resolution  to  permit  his 
people  to  choose  their  own  religion.  Mendez  now  saw  it 
expedient  to  relinquish  his  pretensions  so  far  as  to  concede 
to  the  inhabitants  of  Lasta  the  privilege  which  they  de- 
mended,  because  they  had  never  professed  themselves  mem- 
bers of  the  Roman  church  ;  but  in  regard  to  such  as  had 
acknowledged  the  supremacy  of  the  pope,  and  received 
the  communion  from  the  hands  of  the  Jesuits,  he  would 
not  consent  to  grant  the  freedom  of  renouncing  their 
engagements. 

It  was  no  longer  time  to  deliberate  on  minute  points  with 
a  functionary  who,  it  was  manifest,  would  have  been  con- 
tent with  nothing  short  of  absolute  power  in  all  matters 
spiritual  and  ecclesiastical.  Socinios  did  not  conceal  from 
him,  that  the  authority  of  government  had  greatly  dimin- 
ished in  his  hands,  and  that  he  must  now  act  a  decided 
part,  or  consent  to  be  deprived  even  of  the  semblance  of 
royalty.  He  therefore  issued  the  following  proclamation, 
which  at  once  threw  down  the  fabric  of  the  Roman  ritual 
and  hierarchy  in  Abyssinia,  and  removed  the  hope  of  ever 
again  establishing  it  in  that  kingdom. 

"  Hear  us  !  hear  us  !  hear  us  !  First  of  all  we  gave 
you  the  Roman  Catholic  faith,  as  thinking  it  a  good  one; 
but  many  people  have  died  fighting  against  it,  as  Julius, 
Gabriel,  Tecla  Georgis,  Serca  Christos,  and  finally  these 
rude  peasants  of  Lasta.  Now  therefore  we  restore  to  you 
the  faith  of  your  ancestors  :  let  your  own  priests  say  their 
mass  in  their  own  churches  ;  let  the  people  have  their  own 
altars  for  the  sacrament  and  their  own  liturgy,  and  let 
them  be  happy.  As  for  myself,  I  am  now  old  and  worn 
out  with  war  and  infirmities,  and  no  longer  capable  of 
governing :  I  name  my  son  Facilidas  to  reign  in  my 
place." 

This  document  was  published  on  the  fourteenth  of  June, 
1632,  and  in  the  month  of  September  the  king  died.  He 
was  buried  with  great  pomp  in  the  church  of  Ganeta  Jesus, 
which  he  himself  had  built ;  professing  to  the  last  his  pre- 
ference of  the  Roman  creed,  and  his  attachment  to  the 
forms  of  that  communion.  But  the  Jesuits,  considering 
only  the  catastrophe,  and  unmindful  of  the  strenuous  efforts 
made  by  him  during  his  whole  reign  to  establish  their  reli- 


216  RELIGION    AND 

gion,  have  denounced  him  as  an  apostate,  for  giving  way  to 
the  demand  of  his  subjects  to  have  their  ancient  ritual  re- 
stored. This  judgment  on  their  part  is  equally  unjust  and 
ungrateful.  It  ought  to  have  been  remembered  that,  in  the 
last  years  of  his  life,  when  left  without  a  soldier  to  fight  for 
their  cause,  he  resigned  his  crown  but  retained  his  belief; 
and  it  was  not  until  he  had  quenched  the  fire  of  numerous 
insurrections  in  the  best  blood  of  his  land,  that  he  resolved 
to  sheath  his  sword  and  confer  liberty  of  conscience. 

The  young  monarch,  who  had  acted  with  so  much  dis- 
cretion during  his  father's  reign,  lost  no  time  in  giving 
notice  to  the  patriarch  that  he  and  his  followers  must  forth- 
with quit  Abyssinia.  To  accelerate  this  movement  he  at 
the  same  time  informed  Men<]ez  that  an  abuna,  consecrated 
at  Alexandria,  was  already  on  his  way  to  assume  the  eccle- 
siastical government  of  the  kingdom  ;  and  commanded  that 
the  Jesuits  should  immediately  repair  from  their  convents 
in  Gojam  and  Dembea  to  the  establishment  at  Fremona, 
whence  they  might  more  conveniently  embark  for  India  or 
Europe.  The  Catholics  endeavoured  to  postpone  their  fate 
by  offering  new  concessions  and  indulgences ;  but  Facilidas 
informed  them  that  it  was  now  too  late  for  negotiation,  and 
recommended  a  speedy  departure,  lest  they  should  be  visited 
with  evils  which  he  might  not  have  it  in  his  powrer  to  avert. 

Finding  all  his  arts  unavailing,  the  patriarch  began  his 
march  towards  the  coast,  accompanied  by  a  large  body  of 
sacerdotal  dependants,  and  guarded  by  a  detachment  of  the 
royal  troops.  Still,  hoping  that  some  accident  might  turn 
the  tide  of  affairs  to  their  advantage,  or  that  a  reinforcement 
of  Portuguese  might  arrive  from  the  Eastern  colonies  to 
their  relief,  the  monks  made  various  attempts  to  retain  a 
footing  in  the  country,  though  in  direct  opposition  to  the 
orders  of  the  king.  As  a  last  resource  they  threw  them- 
selves on  the  protection  of  the  Baharnagash,  who  at  that 
period  was  in  a  state  of  rebellion,  and  therefore  not  in  any 
degree  disinclined  to  thwart  the  views  of  his  sovereign.  But 
they  did  not  long  enjoy  the  asylum  provided  for  them  by  the 
barbarian  governor  of  the  coast.  Facilidas  opened  a  cor- 
respondence with  him,  giving  assurance  not  only  of  pardon 
but  of  favour,  if  he  would  deliver  into  his  hands  the  refrac- 
tory priests  who  had  so  far  abused  his  indulgence.  The 
latter,  however,  having   pledged  his  word  to   his  guests, 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  217 

would  not  consent  to  give  them  up  to  the  angry  prince  ; 
but,  by  a  special  refinement  in  the  politics  of  humanity,  he 
agreed  to  sell  them  all  as  slaves  to  the  Turks.  In  return, 
accordingly,  for  a  certain  sum  paid  by  the  pasha  of  the 
neighbouring  ports,  Mendez,  his  priests,  and  his  monks  of 
all  degrees,  were  consigned  to  captivity  as  the  property  of 
infidels.  Two  individuals  only  were  left  behind,  who 
longed  to  terminate  a  weary  life  by  the  honours  of  martyr- 
dom ;  an  expectation  which  was  very  soon  realized.  To 
prevent  the  recurrence  of  an  evil  from  which  so  many  suffer- 
ings and  so  much  disquietude  had  arisen,  the  young  em- 
peror concluded  a  treaty  with  the  Moslem  commanders  at 
Suakin  and  Masuah,  the  object  of  which  was  to  prevent  any 
Portuguese  from  passing  into  Abyssinia.  In  short,  both 
parties,  the  Mohammedans  and  Christians,  for  their  mutual 
safety,  peace,  and  advantage,  had  resolved  to  exclude  the 
missionaries  from  both  shores  of  the  Red  Sea.* 

After  a  considerable  detention  at  Suakin,  and  the  pay- 
ment of  a  heavy  ransom,  the  patriarch  found  his  way  to 
Goa,  where  he  died  ;  having  in  vain  attempted  to  rouse  the 
military  officers  in  that  settlement,  the  pope,  and  the  powers 
of  Europe,  to  make  a  great  effort  for  the  recovery  of  Ethio- 
pia. The  letters  and  memorials  which  passed  between  him 
and  Facilidas,  in  relation  to  the  interests  of  the  church,  and 
the  reasons  for  restoring  the  ancient  forms  in  Abyssinia,  are 
very  entertaining,  and,  at  the  same  time,  throw  a  valuable 
light  on  the  views  of  both  parties  in  reference  to  that  most 
interesting  of  all  subjects,  the  maintenance  of  a  national 
faith.  In  one  of  his  epistles,  the  emperor,  after  complaining 
that  the  Jesuits  denied  the  cup  in  the  hoty  communion,  re- 
baptized  the  people,  treated  the  priests  and  deacons  as  if 
they  were  not  in  sacred  orders,  and  even  tore  down  their 
altars  to  be  replaced  by  others  of  their  own  consecration, 
proceeds  as  follows  : — 

"  Your  lordship,  in  being  acquainted  with  this,  will  know 
the  reason  why  you  are  turned  out  of  your  place  which  God 
and  the  emperor  had  bestowed  on  you  ;  and  that  the  very 
same  emperor  who  sent  for  your  lordship,  and  gave  you 
your  authority,  was  the  person  that  deprived  you   of  it. 

*  SeeGeddes's  Cburch  History,  p.  380-434  ;  Ludolfi  Hist.  Ethiop.  lib. 
iii.  c.  12,  etc. ;  Bruce,  iii.  p.  434. 

T 


218  RELIGION    AND 

Wherefore  since  an  Alexandrian  abuna  is  on  his  way 
hither,  and  has  sent  us  word  that  he  cannot  be  in  the  same 
country  with  a  Roman  patriarch  and  fathers,  we  have 
ordered  you  to  repair  to  Fremona,  and  there  to  remain. 
As  to  what  your  lordship  now  offers,  which  is,  that  if  the 
people  of  Ethiopia  will  but  continue  in  the  obedience  of  the 
Roman  church,  you  will  dispense  with  them  as  to  all  mat- 
ters which  are  not  contrary  to  the  faith  :  that  comes  too 
late  now  ;  for  how  is  it  possible  for  them  to  return  to  that 
which  they  have  not  only  forsaken  but  do  abominate,  now 
that  they  have  a  taste  of  their  old  religion  again  ]  Your 
lordship  further  desires  that  we  would  assemble  our  learned 
men  to  dispute  with  you,  before  you  depart,  about  matters 
of  faith.  This  also  ought  to  have  been  done  in  the  begin- 
ning. Besides,  is  that  cause  likely  to  be  supported  by  ar- 
guments which  has  been  maintained  hitherto  only  by  force 
and  violence,  by  taking  estates  from  some,  and  throwing 
others  into  prison,  and  punishing  a  third  class  still  more 
severely,  and  that  for  no  other  reason  than  because  they 
would  not  embrace  your  faith  1  And  as  if  that  had  not  been 
sufficient,  you  have  dragged  great  multitudes  out  of  the 
deserts,  who  would  have  been  contented  to  live  there  upon 
herbs,  and  confined  them  to  prisons  ;  nay,  the  poor  people 
that  would  have  been  glad  to  bury  themselves  in  caves  did 
not  escape  your  persecution.  Now  what  a  barbarity  would 
it  be  to  go  and  tease  poor  people  with  arguments  who  have 
suffered  so  much  already  !  It  would  surely  be  a  very  un- 
just thing  both  in  the  sight  of  God  and  man." 

This  revolution  in  the  church  of  Abyssinia  occasioned 
great  regret  at  Rome,  although  there  were  many  who  con- 
soled themselves  with  the  reflection  that  the  disappointment 
had  arisen,  not  from  any  aversion  to  the  doctrine  and  rules 
of  the  West,  but  solely  from  the  pride,  violence,  and  obsti- 
nacy of  the  Jesuit  missionaries.  It  was  therefore  imagined, 
that  if  men  more  conciliatory  in  their  manners  and  less 
bigoted  to  external  rites  were  sent  out  under  proper  auspices, 
there  would  be  no  doubt  of  ultimate  success.  With  this 
view  six  Capuchins,  all  natives  of  France  and  members  of 
the  reformed  order  of  their  founder,  were  despatched  from 
Italy  by  the  college  de  Propaganda  Fide,  armed  with  pro- 
tections from  the  grand  seignior.  Of  these,  two  attempted 
to  enter  Ethiopia  by  landing  at  Magadoxo,  on  the  shore  of 


LITERATURE    OF   ETHIOPIA.  219 

the  Indian  Ocean,  who,  after  advancing  a  very  short  way 
into  the  country,  were  slain  by  the  Galla.  Two  penetrated 
directly  into  Abyssinia,  and  were  stoned  to  death  ;  but  the 
remaining  couple,  informed  at  Masuah  of  the  fate  of  their 
companions,  instead  of  exposing  themselves  to  similar  de- 
struction, returned  home  with  an  account  of  their  bad  suc- 
cess. Even  after  this,  three  other  Capuchins  were  sent 
from  Europe,  who,  on  their  arrival  at  Suakin,  forwarded 
notice  to  Facilidas  of  their  intention  to  visit  his  kingdom  as 
ministers  of  the  Roman  church.  He  recommended  to  the 
pasha  to  treat  them  according  to  their  deserts  ;  who  instantly 
ordered  their  heads  to  be  struck  off,  and  stripped  of  the 
skin,  which  was  sent  to  the  capital  for  inspection, — the 
colour  denoting  that  they  were  Franks,  and  the  tonsure 
affording  the  certainty  of  their  being  priests.  No  further 
attempt  was  made  during  many  years  to  introduce  Euro- 
pean missionaries  into  the  Abyssinian  monarchy.* 

But  the  seeds  of  discord,  which  were  sown  in  that  country 
by  the  foreigners  now  expelled,  soon  grew  up  and  greatly 
annoyed  the   government.     In  the   days    of  Yasous,  the 

See  Ludolf,  Geddes,  and  Bruce,  at  the  places  already  indicated  ;  the 
narratives  of  all  the  three  being  drawn  from  the  same  source,  the  works 
of  the  missionaries.  The  reader  will  peruse  with  pleasure  the  following 
abridgment  of  the  occurrences  mentioned  in  the  text :— "  The  Jesuits 
themselves  deplore  the  fatal  indiscretion  of  their  chief,  who  forgot  the 
mildness  of  the  gospel  and  the  policy  of  his  order,  to  introduce  with 
hasty  violence  the  liturgy  of  Rome  and  the  Inquisition  of  Portugal.  A 
new  baptism,  a  new  ordination  was  inflicted  on  the  natives ;  and  they 
trembled  with  horror  when  the  most  holy  of  the  dead  were  torn  from 
their  graves,  when  the  most  illustrious  of  the  living  were  excommuni- 
cated by  a  foreign  priest.  In  the  defence  of  their  religion  and  liberty  the 
Abyssinians  rose  in  arms  with  desperate  but  unsuccessful  zeal.  Five 
rebellions  were  extinguished  in  the  blood  of  the  insurgents,  two  ahunas 
were  slain  in  battle,  whole  legions  were  slaughtered  in  the  field  or  suffo- 
cated in  their  caverns  ;  and  neither  merit,  nor  rank,  nor  sex,  could  save 
from  an  ignominious  death  the  enemies  of  Rome.  But  the  victorious 
monarch  was  finally  subdued  by  the  constancy  of  the  nation,  of  his 
mother,  of  his  son,  and  of  his  most  faithful  friends.  Segued  listened 
to  the  voice  of  pity,  of  reason,  perhaps  of  fear  ;  and  his  edict  of  liberty 
of  conscience  instantly  revealed  the  tyranny  and  weakness  of  the  Jesuits. 
On  the  death  of  his  father,  Basilides  expelled  the  Latin  patriarch,  and 
restored  to  the  wishes  of  the  nation  the  faith  and  the  discipline  of 
Egypt.  The  monophysite  churches  resounded  with  a  song  of  triumph, 
that  the  sheep  of  Ethiopia  were  now  delivered  from  the  hyenas  of  the 
West ;  and  the  gates  of  that  solitary  realm  were  for  ever  shut  against 
the  arts,  the  science,  and  the  fanaticism  of  Europe." — Decline  and  Fall, 
vol,  viii.  p.  373, 


220  RELIGION    AND 

grandson  of  Facilidas,  some  turbulent  monks,  for  example, 
attempted  to  embroil  the  kingdom  by  theological  disputes ; 
but  a  little  wholesome  restraint,  accompanied  with  an  un- 
bending firmness  on  the  part  of  the  sovereign,  prevented 
the  rise  of  many  evils  which  there  was  just  ground  to  appre- 
hend from  that  quarter. 

At  the  time  Bruce  travelled  in  Abyssinia  there  was  a 
convent  of  Franciscan  friars  in  Upper  Egypt,  established 
about  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century,  for  the  protection 
of  such  Catholic  Christians  as  were  supposed  to  have  fled 
into  Nubia  and  Sennaar  when  the  patriarch  was  driven  out 
by  the  heir  of  Socinios.  Every  one  interested  himself  in 
behalf  of  these  fugitives,  who  were  imagined  to  preserve  the 
relics  of  a  pure  faith  among  the  savage  tribes  on  the  banks 
of  the  Nile,  far  beyond  the  Cataracts.  Pope  Innocent  XII. 
was  so  convinced  of  the  truth  of  this  story  as  to  raise  a  con- 
siderable fund  to  support  the  expense  of  an  Ethiopic  mis- 
sion ;  a  convent  was  erected  at  Achmin,  the  ancient  Pan- 
opolis,  where  the  monks  were  to  afford  refreshment  to  those 
of  their  brethren  who  should  return  weary  and  exhausted 
from  preaching  among  the  barbarians.  They  were  en- 
trusted, besides,  should  an  opportunity  present  itself,  with 
the  care  of  penetrating  into  Abyssinia,  in  order  to  keep  alive 
the  embers  of  orthodox  belief  and  discipline,  until  a  proper 
season  should  come  for  converting  the  whole  realm.  But, 
on  inquiry,  it  was  discovered  that  no  Christians  had  taken 
refuge  in  any  part  of  the  country  between  Syene  and  Don- 
gola,  nor  even  on  the  higher  parts  of  the  river  nearest  the 
scene  of  persecution  ;  and  it  is  admitted  that  all  endeavours 
to  convert  the  natives  in  the  contiguous  districts  proved 
fruitless  and  unavailing. 

In  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV.  an  effort  was  made  by  the 
Jesuits  to  repair  the  mischief  which  Alphonso  Mendez  had 
done,  and  to  introduce  once  more  into  Ethiopia  the  prin- 
ciples of  their  institution.  Father  Fleurian  was  authorized 
by  the  celebrated  De  la  Chaise,  the  king's  confessor,  to 
instruct  the  consul-general  at  Cairo,  to  send  into  Abyssinia 
a  proper  person  to  negotiate  with  the  emperor,  and  to  pave 
the  way  for  an  embassy  to  Paris.  The  grand  monarque  at 
the  same  time  took  upon  himself  the  protection  of  the 
intended  mission,  and  solicited,  through  Cardinal  Jansen, 
the  concurrence  and  advice  of  the  pope.     Verseau,  who  was 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  221 

employed  as  his  envoy  on  this  occasion,  informed  his  holi- 
ness that  his  majesty,  who  took  a  great  interest  in  the  suc- 
cess of  this  pious  undertaking,  had  fixed  his  eyes  on  the 
Jesuits  as  the  best  qualified  for  discharging  a  duty  at  once  so 
delicate  and  arduous.  Innocent  dissembled  :  he  extolled  in 
the  most  magnificent  terms  the  king's  great  zeal  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  religion,  approved  the  choice  he  had  made, 
and  praised  the  resolution  of  the  preachers.  But  it  soon 
appeared  that,  notwithstanding  this  flattering  language,  he 
had  no  intention  either  to  gratify  the  disciples  of  Loyola,  or 
to  comply  with  the  wishes  of  the  French  sovereign  ;  for 
without  communicating  his  views  to  the  one  or  the  other, 
he  appointed  the  superior  of  the  Franciscans  to  be  his  legate 
a  latere  to  the  emperor  of  Abyssinia,  providing  him  with 
presents  to  that  prince  and  the  chief  noblemen  of  his  court. 

At  this  period  Maillet  was  in  Egypt,  the  representative 
of  the  French  government,  and  eagerly  employed  in  endeav- 
ouring to  accomplish  the  purposes  of  his  royal  master. 
Various  intrigues  ensued  which  we  shall  not  take  time  to 
describe  ;  it  being  sufficient  to  mention  that  the  dark  and 
laboured  policy  of  the  two  rival  orders  terminated  at  length 
in  the  selection  of  Poncet,  a  medical  practitioner,  and  of 
Brevedent,  a  Jesuit  friar,  who  consented  to  attend  him  as 
his  servant.  Yasous,  at  the  epoch  in  question,  was  threat- 
ened with  a  mortal  disease,  and  had  sent  a  special  messen- 
ger to  Cairo  to  obtain  the  aid  of  a  European  physician  ;  and 
hence  an  opportunity  was  created  for  introducing  a  disguised 
priest  into  the  very  centre  of  the  Abyssinian  provinces.  But 
Brevedent  died  before  the  journey  was  completed  ;  while 
Poncet,  after  having  administered  successfully  to  the  dis- 
tempered ruler,  returned  in  due  time,  without  attempting 
any  thing  in  favour  of  the  Catholic  creed  or  the  monachism 
of  Spain. 

It  would  appear  from  several  instances  of  persecution, 
which  are  recorded  in  the  more  recent  annals  of  Ethiopia, 
that  certain  individuals,  animated  with  zeal  for  the  interests 
of  religion,  had  from  time  to  time  made  their  way  into  the 
country,  and  were  even  favourably  received  at  court.  In 
the  reign  of  Oustas,  for  instance,  who  mounted  the  throne 
in  the  year  1709,  three  priests  were  concealed  in  the  prov- 
ince of  Walkayt,  to  whom  his  majesty  frequently  repaired 
to  hear  mass  and  receive  the  communion.     Under  the  gov- 


222  RELIGION    AND 

ernment,  however,  of  his  successor,  David  IV.,  who  was  an 
ardent  supporter  of  the  Alexandrian  rites  of  worship,  in- 
formation was  lodged  against  the  heretical  friars,  and  they 
were  immediately  brought  to  trial.  The  interrogation  pro- 
ceeded as  follows  :  Do  you  or  do  you  not  receive  the  deci- 
sions of  the  Council  of  Chalcedon  as  a  rule  of  faith  ?  And 
do  you  believe  that  Leo  the  pope  lawfully  presided  at  it  and 
regularly  conducted  if?  To  this  the  prisoners  answered 
without  reserve,  that  they  looked  upon  the  Council  of  Chal- 
cedon as  the  fourth  general  council,  received  it  as  such,  and 
held  its  decisions  as  a  rule  of  faith ;  and  were  moreover 
satisfied  that  Leo  lawfully  and  regularly  presided  at  it,  as 
being  head  of  the  Catholic  church,  successor  to  Saint  Peter, 
and  Christ's  vicar  upon  earth.  Upon  this  a  general  shout 
was  heard  from  the  whole  assembly,  mixed  with  cries  to 
stone  them, — "Whoever  throws  not  three  stones  is  accursed, 
and  an  enemy  to  Mary  1"  Ropes  were  instantly  fastened 
round  the  necks  of  the  monks,  and  they  were  dragged  to  a 
place  behind  the  church  of  Abbo,  where  they  were,  according 
to  their  sentence,  stoned  to  death,  suffering  with  meekness 
and  resignation  after  the  example  of  the  first  martyrs.* 

When  Pearce  was  in  Abyssinia,  about  twelve  years  ago, 
a  certain  latitudinarianism  seems  to  have  prevailed  ;  for, 
besides  an  open  schism  among  the  members  of  the  Greek 
church  themselves,  there  was  a  Roman  party,  whose  voice 
commanded  some  respect  in  the  public  deliberations.  It  is 
true  that  the  English  seaman  is  not  the  best  authority  in 
matters  of  religion,  so  far  as  we  regard  nice  distinctions  in 
points  of  faith  ;  but  from  his  narrative  of  facts,  which  ap- 
pears honest  and  unbiased,  it  becomes  perfectly  manifest 
that  the  theological  school  of  Alexandria  no  longer  enjoyed 
an  undisputed  pre-eminence. 

Fifteen  years  had  passed  amid  insurrections  and  civil 
broils,  during  which  no  abuna  or  metropolitan  was  conse- 
crated for  Ethiopia :  and  at  length,  when  Mohammed  Ali 
did  listen  to  the  entreaties  of  his  Christian  neighbours  to 
supply  them  with  a  spiritual  head,  he  and  the  patriarch 
seem  to  have  consulted  their  own  views  rather  than  the 
cause  of  the  gospel  in  the  selection  of  a  priest  to  fill  that 
high  office.     Nor  was  this  favour  obtained  altogether  gratui- 

*  Bruce,  vol.  iv.  p.  60. 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  223 

tously ;  on  the  contraiy,  the  Ras  proclaimed  by  beat  of 
drum  that  every  governor  of  a  village  throughout  his  domin- 
ions should  collect  from  his  tenants  two  dollars  each,  in 
hard  money,  cloth,  or  salt,  and  the  larger  towns  from  ten  to 
twenty  each,  as  a  subscription  to  pay  the  expenses  of  bring- 
ing his  reverence  from  Egypt.  In  this  manner  ten  thousand 
dollars  were  soon  collected,  and  a  party  of  priests  despatched 
with  some  Mohammedans,  bearing  a  present  of  fourteen 
slaves  and  several  pieces  of  the  finest  Abyssinian  cloth  to 
Ali  Pasha.  We  give  an  account  of  the  holy  man's  recep- 
tion in  the  words  of  Mr.  Pearce  : 

On  the  23d  January,  1816,  "  the  Ras  with  his  army  and 
all  the  priests  of  the  country  went  to  meet  the  abuna  at 
Dola  ;  in  the  afternoon,  as  they  again  entered  Chelii  <ut, 
every  thing  appeared  in  an  uproar.  I  never  before  beheld 
such  a  multitude  of  people  assembled.  The  mountains 
around  Chelicut  were  covered  with  them.  Gangs  of  priests 
and  monks,  some  in  white  and  some  in  yellow  dresses,  were 
seen  in  the  different  quarters,  while  thousands  of  other 
orders,  dressed  in  their  sheep-skins,  kept  moving  along  the 
sides  of  the  mountains,  apparently  like  large  flocks  of  sheep. 
Numerous  chiefs  with  their  armies  held  different  situations 
on  the  heights,  all  moving  in  confusion,  their  lances  glit- 
tering in  the  air  ;  and  the  manner  in  which  they  strove  by 
shoving  against  each  other  to  advance  as  near  as  they  could 
to  the  patriarch,  appeared  like  a  close  battle  ;  numbers  were 
trodden  to  death.  The  Ras  rode  on  a  mule  with  his  horse- 
men in  the  rear  of  the  abuna.  The  multitude  of  priests, 
with  all  the  ornaments  of  their  respective  churches,  were 
at  some  distance  in  front ;  and  in  their  rear  before  the 
abuna,  a  number  of  people  with  large  ploughmen's  whips 
were  continually  whipping  to  keep  the  road  clear."* 

If  the  character  given  of  this  prelate  has  not  been  darkly 
coloured  by  malice  or  fear,  we  must  conclude  that  he 
was  very  little  qualified  either  for  the  arduous  duties  of  his 
station,  or  to  extend  the  reign  of  meekness  and  charity 
among  the  turbulent  people  whose  spiritual  interests  were 
committed  to  his  superintendence.  His  insolence  on  some 
occasions  proceeded  beyond  all  bounds,  not  exempting  even 
the  head  of  the  government  from  his  wrath  and  contume- 

*  Pearce's  Life  and  Adventures,  vol.  ii.  p.  61. 


224  RELIGION   AND 

lies.  He  kept  the  Ras  at  his  door  more  than  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  waiting  for  an  audience  ;  and  when  at  length  he 
was  admitted,  the  communication  made  by  him  was  so  disa- 
greeable that  the  old  priest  struck  the  interpreter  on  the 
mouth,  and  commanded  him  never  to  exercise  his  office 
again.  The  warlike  chief  was  grieved  and  incensed  to  a 
high  degree.  "The  tongue  of  that  abuna,"  said  he,  "has 
speared  me  to  the  heart ;  I  cannot  resent ;  I  am  bount1  by 
my  religion  to  bear  it ;  still  I  think  we  are  rather  a  weak- 
minded  people."* 

As  a  long  interval  had  elapsed  without  the  ministrations 
of  a  metropolitan,  a  multitude  of  clergy  and  of  all  other 
classes  assembled  at  the  dwelling  of  the  bishop ;  but,  before 
he  would  consecrate  new  altars,  ordain  priests  and  deacons, 
or  admit  any  one  to  the  privileges  of  the  Christian  church, 
he  commanded  a  proclamation  to  be  issued,  declaring  that, 
according  to  the  practice  established  by  former  abunas, 
every  man  who  wished  to  be  retained  in  his  office  must  pay 
four  pieces  of  salt.  A  similar  return  was  expected  for  ad- 
mission to  the  lowest  order  of  clerical  functionaries  ;  and 
all  the  people,  with  their  young  children  who  had  not  been 
confirmed  by  the  late  patriarch,  were*  required  to  pay  one 
piece.  More  than  a  thousand  priests  and  deacons  were  or- 
dained the  first  day  ;  many  of  whom  entered  upon  a  profes- 
sion for  which  they  were  very  ill  prepared,  with  the  sole 
view  of  securing  an  exemption  from  military  service. 

The  abuna  next  proclaimed  throughout  all  Abyssinia, 
that  no  man  should  be  considered  a  priest  who  did  not  bind 
himself  by  a  formal  oath  to  receive  all  the  articles  of  the 
Coptic  creed,  and  to  submit  to  the  discipline  of  the  Alex- 
andrian communion  ;  and,  further,  that  none  of  the  sacra- 
ments should  be  administered  in  any  of  their  churches  until 
the  clergy  had  renounced,  in  a  manner  equally  solemn,  all 
the  errors  of  the  Greek  and  Roman  faith.  This  measure 
threw  the  whole  country  into  commotion.  The  adherents 
of  the  Egyptian  ritual  had  already  united  to  enforce  the 
commands  of  their  superior  ;  the  members  of  the  Greek 
church  likewise  arrayed  themselves  in  a  formidable  body  to 
oppose  the  injunction  ;  while  those  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
persuasion,  whose  number  was  small,  were  content  to  act 

*  Pearce,  vol.  ii,  p.  64. 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  225 

on  the  defensive.  After  a  vain  attempt  at  an  accommoda- 
tion, rage  burst  out  on  all  sides  ;  and  every  priest  held  up 
his  cross,  about  to  lead  his  people  to  protect  their  own  altars, 
or  to  overthrow  those  of  their  opponents.  Before  the  actual 
effusion  of  blood,  however,  it  was  agreed  among  the  leaders, 
that  such  as  held  the  established  belief  should  be  permitted 
to  follow  their  own  mode  of  worship  ;  but  that  they  should 
not  be  entitled  to  share  in  the  blessing  or  protection  of  the 
abuna,  and  should  be  considered  as  an  inferior  caste.  To 
this  humiliating  arrangement  the  multitude,  as  might  have 
been  expected,  showed  the  utmost  aversion,  and  became 
more  furious  than  ever  against  their  ecclesiastical  ruler.  In 
the  end  he  found  himself  obliged  to  grant  a  general  tolera- 
tion, without  any  infringement  of  the  rank  and  privileges 
which  were  secured  to  the  people  by  their  civil  constitution. 
Pearce.  obtained  through  the  exertions  of  Mr.  Salt  some 
Ethiopic  psalters,  to  be  distributed  among  the  Abyssinians, 
and  if  possible  to  get  in  exchange  for  them  some  copies  of 
their  scriptures.  The  superstitious  people,  he  tells  us,  not 
only  found  fault  with  the  print  being  too  small,  and  with  the 
sacred  names  because  they  were  not  done  in  red  ink ;  but 
the  perfect  similarity  of  the  books  made  them  suppose  that 
they  had  been  completed  by  some  supernatural  agent. 
Those,  however,  who  possessed  any  decree  of  knowledge, 
readily  admitted  that  they  far  excelled  their  own  manu- 
scripts. The  Englishman  does  not  conceal  that,  although 
many  were  disposed  to  accept  his  volumes  as  a  present,  he 
could  not  obtain  any  thing  in  exchange.  Having  procured 
a  mule,  he  went,  somewhat  in  the  character  of  a  pedler,  to 
the  different  monasteries,  hoping  to  dispose  of  his  psalters 
to  some  advantage ;  but  the  monks,  who  were  not  inclined 
to  become  merchants,  found  many  faults  with  the  workman- 
ship, and  it  was  not  until  they  discovered  the  sheets  might 
be  had  for  nothing,  that  their  eyes  opened  to  their  merits  and 
to  the  expediency  of  receiving  them  as  a  gift.  He  acknow- 
ledges that  he  was  occasionally  remunerated  by  the  presenta- 
tion of  a  sheep,  a  goat,  or  a  little  honey  ;  but  adds  that 
such  things  are  customary  even  on  a  common  visit.* 

There   is  no  small  difficulty  in   ascertaining  the  dogmas 
of  the  Abyssinian  church,  in  regard  to  those  point3  of  the- 

*  Pearce,  vol.  ii,  p.  128 


226  RELIGION    AND 

ology  which  occupy  the  first  station  in  the  articles  of  all 
other  Christian  communions.  In  the  works  on  ecclesias- 
tical history  to  which  we  have  occasionally  made  reference, 
there  are  several  symbols  or  compends  of  faith,  whence  the 
curious  reader  may  derive  the  requisite  information.  The 
volume  of  Dr.  Geddes,  in  particular,  contains  an  "  Account 
of  the  Habassin  Religion  and  Customs,  composed  by  Zaga 
Zaba  the  King  of  Ethiopia's  ambassador,  and  written  with 
his  own  hand  at  Lisbon."*  Perhaps  the  envoy's  notions 
were  in  some  degree  influenced  by  the  position  which  he 
occupied  in  Europe  ;  it  being  manifest  that  there  is  a  striking 
coincidence  between  his  tenets  and  those  of  the  court  to 
which  his  master  had  sent  him.  But  the  document,  not- 
withstanding, possesses  great  value  as  a  memorial  of  the 
progress  made  by  the  Jesuit  missionaries  in  the  arduous  task 
of  inducing  a  semi-barbarous  people  to  relinquish,  even  for 
a  time,  the  doctrines  which  they  had  received  from  their 
fathers. 

In  LudolPs  Commentary  there  is  a  confession  of  faith 
attributed  to  the  Emperor  Claudius,  who  reigned  about  the 
middle  of  the  sixteenth  century,  and  which  he  describes  as  the 
belief  of  his  ancestors,  and  of  the  flock  within  the  precincts 
of  his  kingdom.  "We  believe  in  one  God,  and  in  his  only 
Son,  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  his  Word  and  his  Power,  his 
Counsel  and  his  Wisdom  ;  who  was  with  him  before  the 
world  was  created.  But  in  the  last  days  he  came  to  us, — 
not,  however,  that  he  might  leave  the  throne  of  his  divinity, 
— and  was  made  man  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of  the  holy 
Virgin  Mary,  and  was  baptized  in  Jordan  in  his  thirtieth 
year ;  and  was  perfect  man  ;  and  was  hanged  on  the  wood 
of  the  cross  in  the  days  of  Pontius  Pilate  ;  suffered,  died, 
and  was  buried,  and  rose  again  the  third  day  ;  and  after- 
ward on  the  fortieth  day  he  ascended  with  glory  into  heaven, 
and  sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  his  Father.  And  he  shall 
come  again  with  glory  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead,  and 
of  his  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end.  And  we  believe  in 
the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Lord  and  Giver  of  life,  who  proceedeth 
from  the  Father.  And  we  believe  in  one  baptism  for  the 
remission  of  sins.  And  we  look  for  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead,  for  eternal  life  to  come."t 

*  Page  81. 

t  Ludolfi  Com.  d.  237 ;  Jowett's  Christian  Researches,  p.  176. 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  227 

We  must  content  ourselves  with  referring  to  a  modern 
work,  for  a  view  of  the  latest  creed  or  confession  issued  for 
the  use  of  the  Ethiopian  Christians.  This  document  is 
entitled,  "  Instructions  of  Mark,  Patriarch  of  Alexandria, 
addressed  to  the  Abyssinian  churches,  on  points  of  religion 
at  present  controverted  in  Abyssinia."  It  was  written  in 
Arabic,  but  immediately  translated  into  the  ecclesiastical 
language  of  the  country  by  command  of  the  Ras.  The 
manuscript  was  obtained  by  Mr.  Salt  from  Welled  Selasse 
the  governor  of  Tigrd,  and  was  rendered  into  English  by 
the  late  Professor  Murray,  for  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society,  the  committee  of  which  granted  to  Mr.  Jowett  per- 
mission to  insert  it  in  his  Christian  Researches.* 

These  "  Instructions"  of  the  patriarch  are  much  too 
replete  with  controversy,  and  subtile  distinctions  in  the 
mere  use  of  words,  to  prove  of  any  value  as  a  guide  to  faith. 
They  are  occupied  almost  entirely  with  those  unprofitable 
discussions  respecting  the  nature  of  Christ,  on  which  the 
Abyssinians  have  long  wasted  their  boundless  zeal  and  their 
small  portion  of  learning ;  and  which,  when  conveyed 
through  the  medium  of  a  version,  are  equally  unintelligible 
and  incapable  of  abridgment. 

In  the  work  of  Father  Lobo,  who  made  a  voyage  to 
Abyssinia  in  the  year  1622,  and  sSrved  in  that  country 
under  the  celebrated  Mendez,  we  have  a  brief  account  of 
the  pious  usages  of  the  people.  Incensed  by  their  bigoted 
attachment  to  the  customs  of  their  ancestors,  he  denounces 
their  religion  as  a  mixture  of  Christianity  with  Jewish  and 
Mohammedan  superstitions.  He  admits,  however,  that  they 
retain  the  belief  of  the  principal  mysteries  of  our  faith  ;  that 
they  celebrate  with  a  great  deal  of  piety  the  sufferings  and 
death  of  our  Lord  ;  reverence  the  cross  ;  pay  a  profound 
devotion  to  the  blessed  Virgin,  the  angels,  and  the  saints ; 
observe  the  festivals,  and  pay  a  strict  regard  to  Sunday. 
Every  month  they  commemorate  the  Assumption  of  the 
Virgin  Mary  ;  and  are  of  opinion  that  no  Christians  beside 
themselves  have  a  true  sense  of  the  greatness  of  the  mother 
of  God,  or  render  the  honours  which  are  due  to  her  name. 
There  are  some  tribes  among  them  by  whom  the  crime  of 
swearing  by  her  is  punished  with  the  forfeiture  of  goods, 

*  Page  180. 


228  RELIGION    AND 

and  even  with  the  loss  of  life.  Every  week  they  keep  a 
feast  in  honour  of  the  apostles  and  angels  ;  they  come  to 
mass  with  great  devotion,  and  love  to  hear  the  Word  of  God  ; 
they  receive  the  sacrament  often,  but  do  not  always  prepare 
themselves  for  it  by  confession.  The  severity  of  their  fasts 
is  equal  to  that  of  the  primitive  church  ;  in  Lent  they  never 
eat  till  after  sunset ;  and  their  abstinence  is  the  more  rigid, 
because  milk  and  butter  are  forbidden  to  them.  No  reason 
or  plea  of  necessity  can  procure  for  them  permission  to  eat 
flesh  ;  and,  as  their  country  produces  hardly  any  fish,  they 
are  compelled  to  exist  on  roots  and  pulse  only. 

There  is  no  nation,  he  adds,  where  excommunication 
carries  greater  terrors  than  among  the  Abyssinians  ;  a  cir- 
cumstance which  gives  the  priests  great  power  over  them, 
as  they  frequently  exert  their  spiritual  authority  for  personal 
purposes  not  quite  consistent  with  the  utmost  purity  of  mo- 
tive. They  have  certain  opinions  peculiar  to  themselves 
about  purgatory,  the  creation  of  souls,  and  some  other  mys- 
teries. They  repeat  baptism,  or  the  semblance  of  it,  every 
year  ;  retain  the  practice  of  circumcision ;  observe  the 
Jewish  Sabbath ;  abstain  from  eating  ail  those  animals 
which  are  forbidden  by  the  Mosaical  law  ;  and  brothers 
espouse  the  widows  of  their  brothers,  according  to  the  pre- 
cept of  the  same  ancient  institute. 

The  churches,  at  the  period  under  consideration,  were 
extremely  numerous  in  the  larger  towns  and  even  in  vil- 
lages. So  close  to  each  other  were  the  religious  houses, 
that  the  monks  chanting  the  service  in  one  could  hear  their 
brethren  similarly  employed  in  some  adjoining  edifice.  They 
sing  the  Psalms  of  David,  of  which,  as  well  as  the  other 
parts  of  Holy  Scripture,  they  have  an  exact  translation  in 
their  own  language  ;  rejecting  none  which  Roman  Catholics 
esteem  canonical  except  the  Books  of  the  Maccabees. 

There  is  something  fantastic  in  their  mode  of  conducting 
Divine  service.  Their  musical  instruments  are  little  drums, 
which  they  hang  about.their  necks  and  beat  with  both  their 
hands  ;  and  this  exercise  is  performed  even  by  the  chief  men 
as  well  as  by  the  gravest  of  their  ecclesiastics.  They  have 
sticks  likewise  with  which  they  strike  the  ground,  accompany- 
ing the  blow  with  a  motion  of  their  whole  bodies.  They 
begin  their  devotions  by  stamping  with  their  feet  on  the  floor, 
and  playing  gently  on  the  drums  ;    but  when  they  become 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  229 

warm  and  animated  they  leave  off  beating,  and  proceed  to 
leap,  dance,  and  clap  their  hands,  straining  their  voices  at 
the  same  time  to  the  highest  pitch,  till  at  length  they  have 
a  greater  resemblance  to  an  infuriated  crowd  than  to  a  reli- 
gious assembly.  For  this  manner  of  worshipping  they 
quote  the  psalm  of  David,  "  0  clap  your  hands,  all  ye 
nations." 

The  statement  of  Lobo,  as  to  the  great  number  of 
churches  in  Abyssinia,  is  fully  confirmed  by  the  narrative 
of  Bruce,  who  remarks  that  in  the  most  confined  landscape 
the  traveller  may  see  at  one  view  five  or  six  of  those  struc- 
tures. Every  great  man  who  dies  thinks  that  he  atones  for 
all  his  wickedness  if  he  leaves  a  fund  for  the  erection  of  a 
place  of  worship.  The  king  builds  many  ;  it  being  customary 
to  commemorate  any  success  in  the  field  of  battle  by  rearing 
a  temple  to  the  service  of  God.  The  situation  is  always 
chosen  near  a  running  water,  for  the  convenience  of  the 
priests,  who,  in  respect  to  the  periodical  purifications  and 
ablutions,  strictly  observe  the  Levitical  law.  It  is  usual 
also  to  surround  these  buildings  with  beautiful  trees  and 
flowering  shrubs  ;  so  that  the  country  owes  much  of  its 
picturesque  appearance  to  the  taste  displayed  by  the  ecclesi- 
astical architects. 

All  the  churches,  we  are  told,  are  of  a  round  form  with 
thatched  roofs  ;  their  summits  are  perfect  cones  ;  the  out- 
side is  encircled  by  a  number  of  wooden  pillars,  being  trunks 
of  the  cedar-tree,  placed  so  as  to  support  the  edifice  ;  and  as 
the  roof  projects  about  eight  feet  beyond  the  walls,  an  agree- 
able walk  or  colonnade  is  thereby  formed,  which  proves  of 
great  use  in  hot  or  rainy  weather.  The  inside  is  divided 
into  several  apartments,  nearly  according  to  the  directions 
which  are  given  in  the  Law  of  Moses.  The  first  is  a  circle 
somewhat  wider  than  the  inner  one  :  here  the  congregation 
say  their  prayers.  Within  this  is  a  square  which  is  divided 
by  a  vail  or  curtain,  corresponding  to  the  Holy  Place  and 
the  Holy  of  Holies  in  the  Jewish  Tabernacle.  The  latter 
is  so  narrow  that  none  but  the  priests  are  admitted  into  it. 

It  has  been  already  observed  that  the  Abyssinians  prac- 
tise circumcision  ;  a  rite  which  they  maintain  was  not 
borrowed  from  the  Jews,  but  derived  from  their  own  neigh- 
bours the  descendants  of  Ishmael.  Much  controversy  has 
existed  as  to  the  reason  and  authority  of  this  usage,  for  the 

l 


230  RELIGION    AND 

details  of  which  we  refer  to  the  volumes  of  Bruce  and  the 
dissertations  of  Le  Grand.* 

In  regard  to  the  precise  object  of  the  annual  ceremony  of 
bathing  in  remembrance  of  our  Saviour's  baptism,  much 
doubt  continues  to  prevail.  The  Jesuits  insist  that  it  is  a 
regular  and  formal  repetition  of  the  sacrament  ;  and  if  the 
description  given  of  it  by  Alvarez  were  to  be  literally  re- 
ceived, we  should  find  it  necessary  to  admit  their  conclusion. 
But  the  Roman  missionaries  laboured  under  a  deep  preju- 
dice against  the  native  clergy,  and  are  suspected  to  have 
failed  in  their  wonted  accuracy  in  their  notices  of  the  Abys- 
sinian ritual.  The  account  supplied  by  Bruce  is  not  liable 
to  the  same  objection.  It  is  as  follows  :  "  The  small  river 
running  between  the  town  of  Adowa  and  the  church  had 
been  dammed  up  for  several  days ;  the  stream  was  scanty, 
so  that  it  scarcely  overflowed.  It  was  in  some  places  three 
feet  deep,  in  some  perhaps  four,  or  a  little  more.  Three 
large  tents  were  pitched  the  morning  before  the  Feast  of 
the  Epiphany ;  one  on  the  north  for  the  priests  to  repose 
in  during  the  intervals  of  the  service,  and,  besides  this,  one 
to  communicate  in  :  on  the  south  there  was  a  third  tent,  for 
the  monks  and  priests  of  another  church  to  rest  themselves 
in  their  turn.  About  twelve  o'clock  at  night  the  monks  and 
priests  met  together,  and  began  their  prayers  and  psalms  at 
the  waterside,  one  party  relieving  the  other.  At  dawn  of 
day  the  governor,  Welled  Michael,  came  hither  with  some 
soldiers  to  raise  men  for  Ras  Michael,  then  on  his  march 
against  Waragna  Fasil,  and  sat  down  on  a  small  hill  near 
the  river ;  the  troops  all  skirmishing  on  foot  and  on  horse- 
back around  them.  As  soon  as  the  sun  began  to  appear, 
three  large  crosses  of  wood  were  carried  by  three  priests 
dressed  in  their  sacerdotal  vestments,  and  who  coming 
to  the  side  of  the  river  dipped  the  cross  into  the  water ; 
and  all  this  time  the  firing,  skirmishing,  and  praying  went 
on  together.  The  priests  with  the  crosses  returned,  one  of 
their  number  carrying  before  them  something  less  than  an 
English  quart  of  water  in  a  silver  cup  or  chalice.  When 
they  were  about  fifty  yards  from  Welled  Michael,  that 
general  stood  up,  and  the  priest  took  as  much  water  as  he 
could  hold  in  his  hand  and  sprinkled  it  upon  his  head,  hold- 

*  Lobo's  Voyage  to  Abyssinia,  with  Le  Grand's  Dissertations. 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  231 

ing  the  cup  at  the  same  time  to  his  mouth  to  taste  ;  after 
which  the  priest  received  it  back  again,  saying,  *  May  God 
bless  you  !'  Each  of  the  three  crosses  were  then  brought 
forward  to  Welled  Michael,  and  he  kissed  them.  The  cere- 
mony of  sprinkling  the  water  was  then  renewed  to  all  the 
great  men  in  the  tent,  all  cleanly  dressed.  Some  of  them, 
not  contented  with  aspersion,  received  the  water  in  the 
palms  of  their  joined  hands  and  drank  it ;  more  water  was 
brought  for  those  who  had  not  partaken  of  the  first ;  and 
after  the  whole  of  the  governor's  company  was  sprinkled, 
the  crosses  returned  to  the  river,  their  bearers  singing  hal- 
lelujahs, and  the  skirmishing  and  firing  continuing."* 

The  same  ceremony  was  performed  on  the  traveller  him- 
self, who,  however,  declined  to  drink  from  the  sacred  cup. 
The  people  meanwhile  crowded  to  the  bank  of  the  stream, 
where  two  or  three  hundred  boys,  of  the  order  of  deacons, 
threw  water  upon  them.  Afterward  horses,  mules,  asses, 
armour,  pots,  and  platters,  were  brought  for  purification, 
and  the  scene  ended  in  a  mixture  of  holy  joy  and  unbridled 
"riot.  Bruce  positively  denies  that  the  baptismal  form  of 
words  was  used  in  any  instance  on  the  occasion  now 
described. 

The  Abyssinians  receive  the  holy  sacrament  in  both  kinds. 
The  loaf  is  unleavened,  and  instead  of  wine  they  use  dried 
grapes  bruised,  with  the  husk  and  stones  as  they  grow,  and 
so  thick  as  to  resemble  marmalade.  It  is  put  into  the  mouth 
with  a  spoon.  The  pieces  of  bread  given  to  the  communi- 
cants are  large  in  proportion  to  their  rank,  and  are  literally 
stuffed  into  the  mouths  of  the  recipients  by  the  priest,  some- 
times at  the  risk  of  suffocation.  After  receiving,  a  pitcher 
of  water  is  brought  forward,  of  which  the  worshippers  in 
their  turn  take  a  large  draught ;  then  engage  some  time  in 
silent  prayer  with  their  faces  turned  to  the  wall. 

Le  Grand  labours  assiduously  to  prove  that  the  clergy  of 
Abyssinia  believe  in  transubstantiation,  although  he  con- 
siders their  form  of  words,  and  perhaps  even  their  official 
authority,  as  radically  defective.  Ludolf,  on  the  contrary, 
maintains  that  in  their  notions  of  the  Eucharist  they  coin- 
cide with  the  Protestants .  admitting,  however,  that  their 
language  is  extremely  ambiguous. 

*  Travels,  vol.  v.  p.  12. 


232  RELIGION    AND 

There  is  no  unanimity  among  the  Abyssinians  on  the 
subject  of  a  middle  state,  or  the  condition  of  the  soul  between 
death  and  the  resurrection.  Owing  to  the  ignorance  in 
theological  matters  of  those  persons  to  whom  we  are 
indebted  for  the  most  recent  information  respecting  that 
country,  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  determine  the  opinions 
which  are  actually  held  by  the  clergy.  But  if  we  form  a 
judgment  on  this  point  from  the  liturgies  used  in  public 
worship,  we  shall  find  all  doubt  removed  as  to  their  com- 
plete coincidence  with  the  doctrines  of  Christian  antiquity, 
relative  to  paradise  or  the  place  of  safe-keeping,  where  the 
spirits  of  men  await  their  final  doom  at  the  last  day.  When 
any  person  dies,  alms  are  given  and  prayers  are  offered  for 
the  souls  of  the  departed  ;  a  practice  which  would  have  no 
meaning  did  they  believe  that  the  individuals  for  whom  they 
make  entreaty  are  already  in  the  presence  of  God,  and  in 
the  full  possession  of  eternal  happiness.  In  their  daily  ser- 
vice they  say,  "Remember,  O  Lord,  the  souls  of  thy  ser- 
vants, our  father  Abba  Matthias,  and  the  rest  of  our  saints, 
Abba  Salama,  and  Abba  Jacob."  In  another  place  they  use 
these  words,  "  Remember,  O  Lord,  the  kings  of  Ethiopia, 
Abreha  and  Atzbcha,  Caleb,  and  Guebra  Mascal."  And 
again,  "  Release,  O  Lord,  our  father  Antonius  and  Abba 
Macarius."* 

The  following  prayer  is  more  general,  and  contributes  to 
place  the  question  in  a  clearer  point  of  view : — "  Remember 
likewise,  O  Lord,  the  priests  and  laymen  ;  grant,  Lord,  that 
their  souls  may  repose  in  the  bosom  of  the  saints  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob ;  send  them  into  that  happy  place  where 
refreshing  waters  may  be  found  ;  into  that  paradise  of  de- 
lights from  whence  are  banished  all  sighs,  sadness,  and  sor- 
row of  heart,  and  where  they  may  rejoice  in  the  light  of  thy 
saints.  Remember,  0  Lord,  our  fathers  and  our  brethren 
who  have  died  in  the  true  faith  ;  give  them  rest  with  thy 
saints,  and  with  those  whom  we  have  now  commemorated  ; 
give  rest  to  sinners,  and  remember  those  who  have  made  these 
offerings,  and  those  for  whom  they  are  made.  Remember, 
O  Lord,  those  who  have  died  in  the  true  faith  of  our  fathers 
and  our  brethren  ;  grant  that  their  souls  may  rest  with  the 
saints  and  the  just ;  conduct  them  and  assemble  them  in  a 

*  Bruce,  vol.  v.  p.  25. 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  233 

pleasant  place  near  cool  and  living  water,  in  a  paradise  of 
delight,  and  with  those  whose  names  we  have  now  re- 
peated."* 

We  shall  not  enter  into  the  topics  controverted  by  Le 
Grand,  who  maintains  that  the  Abyssinians  practise  auric- 
ular confession,  invocation  of  saints,  and  extreme  unction. 
Their  usages  perhaps  justify  the  inferences  of  the  French- 
man, while  the  abstract  opinions  collected  by  Ludolf  would 
unquestionably  lead  to  an  opposite  conclusion.  But  in  our 
eyes  the  facts  with  which  we  are  supplied,  through  the  me- 
dium of  their  several  works,  possess  their  principal  value 
from  the  circumstance  that  they  show  the  state  of  Chris- 
tianity at  the  time  it  was  first  introduced  into  Ethiopia ; 
such  being  the  unchangeable  nature  of  habits,  manners,  and 
customs  in  the  East,  that  the  lapse  of  a  thousand  years  pro- 
duces hardly  any  alteration.  For  example,  the  traveller  in 
Arabia  at  the  present  day  witnesses,  in  the  employments  and 
mode  of  living  which  characterize  the  people,  a  scene  little 
different  from  that  which  mijjht  have  been  seen  in  the  age 
of  the  patriarchs  Abraham  and  Isaac.  There  are  the  same 
pastoral  pursuits,  the  same  hospitality,  the  same  dwelling  in 
tents,  and  the  same  predatory  alarms  which  oftener  than 
once  called  the  father  of  the  faithful  into  the  field  of  battle, 
and  rendered  the  quiver  and  the  bow  necessary  implements 
in  the  house  of  every  shepherd.  Even  the  powerful  influ- 
ence of  European  commerce  and  enterprise  has  not  reached 
the  bosom  of  their  deserts,  nor  produced  any  material  inno- 
vation on  their  wonted  manners.  The  camel,  loaded  with 
the  spices  and  balm  of  the  "  far  country,"  still  makes  his 
periodical  journey  over  the  sandy  waste,  and  thereby  con- 
nects, in  the  links  of  a  commercial  intercourse,  the  begin- 
ning of  which  cannot  now  be  traced,  the  banks  of  the  Indus 
with  the  shores  of  the  Red  Sea. 

The  same  perpetuity  exists  in  their  opinions  and  belief, 
wherever  they  have  been  exempted  from  the  direct  operation 
of  conquest.  Their  tenets  and  worship  are  those  which 
they  received  from  their  fathers  ;  and  in  this  respect  the 
Abyssinians  appear  to  manifest  the  same  tenacity  of  estab- 
lished usages,  whether  of  thought  or  of  action,  and  the  same 
reluctance  to  change,  which  distinguish  their  neighbours  on 

*  Le  Grand's  Dissertation  in  Lobo. 
U2 


234  RELIGION    AND 

the  eastern  side  of  the  Gulf.  From  the  date  at  which  Fru- 
mentius  carried  to  them  the  seeds  of  the  gospel  down  to  the 
arrival  of  the  Portuguese,  there  is  an  interval  of  nearly 
twelve  hundred  years  ;  but  during  that  period  they  were  not 
exposed  to  any  such  disturbance  from  the  arrival  of  strangers 
as  would  unsettle  their  creed,  or  interfere  with  the  forms  of 
their  religious  service.  Hence,  we  repeat,  there  is  good 
ground  for  believing  that  the  Christianity  which  the  Euro- 
pean missionaries  found  in  Abyssinia,  in  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury, preserved  the  general  features  of  the  doctrine  and  prac- 
tice which  they  received  from  the  disciple  of  Athanasius. 

In  confirmation  of  the  opinion  now  stated  we  shall  men- 
tion a  few  particulars  which,  the  more  minutely  they  are 
considered,  will  contract  a  greater  degree,  of  interest  in  the 
view  of  a  theological  antiquary.  The  first  is  the  use  of  cir- 
cumcision, which,  it  is  well  known,  was  continued  among 
Jewish  converts  long  after  the  complete  establishment  of  the 
gospel  in  the  various  cities  of  the  Roman  empire.  The  ex- 
ample of  the  apostles  did  not  discountenance  this  usage  as 
applied  to  the  descendants  of  Abraham  ;  on  the  contrary, 
these  holy  men  confined  their  reprehension  to  an  undue 
confidence  in  its  efficacy,  and  to  the  attempt  made  by  some 
of  their  followers  to  extend  its  obligation  beyond  the  limits 
of  the  ancient  covenant.  It  is  extremely  probable,  therefore, 
that  in  the  days  of  Frumentius  the  ritual  of  Moses  retained 
its  authority  so  far  as  to  justify  certain  practices  which  were 
afterward  laid  aside  in  the  churches  of  the  East  and  West. 
The  case  of  Timothy,  recorded  by  St.  Paul  himself,  might, 
in  the  estimation  of  a  rude  people  disposed  to  outward  cere- 
monies, seem  to  warrant  more  than  a  simple  connivance. 

The  purifications  of  their  priests,  as  we  have  already 
stated,  may  perhaps  be  traced  to  the  same  source,  and  be 
found  also  to  rest  on  the  usage  of  apostolical  times.  The 
laws,  too,  imposed  upon  women  after  childbirth,  which  bear 
so  close  a  resemblance  to  the  Mosaical  institution,  were,  it 
is  probable,  derived  from  the  habits  of  the  early  Christians  ; 
who,  we  may  presume,  could  not  be  induced  to  regard  such 
salutary  practices  as  holding  a  place  among  the  things  which 
were  to  be  abolished. 

But  we  discover  a  still  more  remarkable  circumstance  in 
the  observance  of  the  Sabbath  as  well  as  of  the  Lord's  Day, 
which  no  reader  of  ecclesiastical  history  requires  to  be 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  235 

informed  was  continued  many  generations  among  the  fol- 
lowers of  Christ.  The  intimate  mixture  of  the  "primitive 
disciples  with  the  Jews,  who  were,  generally  speaking,  of 
the  same  extraction,  almost  necessarily  led  to  this  union  of 
sacred  rites,  in  things  of  which  both  equally  admitted  the 
divine  origin.  It  is  not  easy  to  determine  when  this  rever- 
ential regard  for  the  seventh  day  of  the  week  was  entirely 
laid  aside  by  the  Christians  ;  but  from  the  conduct  of  the 
Abyssinians  we  may  venture  to  conclude  that,  at  the  period 
they  received  our  holy  faith,  the  Sabbath  was  still  sanctified 
as  the  rest  of  Jehovah,  and  held  as  preparatory  to  the  more 
solemn  duties  of  the  succeeding  day.  The  partial  remission 
from  toil  and  study,  which  is  still  enjoyed  on  Saturday  in 
our  public  offices  and  schools,  is  the  only  relic  of  the  ancient 
usage  which  so  long  combined  the  institutions  of  the  law 
and  the  gospel,  and  taught  the  worshipper  to  venerate  the 
same  great  Being  through  the  only  two  channels  of  revela- 
tion vouchsafed  by  Him  to  the  human  race. 

It  has  usually  been  supposed  that,  admitting  the  accuracy 
of  the  Abyssinian  legend  which  derives  their  religion  and 
royal  house  from  the  visit  paid  to  Solomon  by  the  Queen  of 
Sheba,  the  customs  now  described  may  be  traced  to  a  direct 
and  positive  intercourse  with  the  Jewish  people.  But  the 
story  on  which  so  weighty  a  structure  is  reared  appears 
too  slight  to  bear  it  ;  and,  after  a  due  consideration  of  the 
question,  we  think  it  more  probable  that,  when  the  gospel 
was  carried  into  Ethiopia,  it  continued  to  retain  some  of  the 
external  forms  and  practices  with  which  it  is  known  to  have 
been  invested  during  the  first  and  second  centuries.  This 
conclusion  derives  no  small  support  from  the  fact,  that  the 
principles  of  chronology  which  the  Abyssinians  retain  are 
those  which  were  held,  by  the  whole  Christian  church  in 
those  primitive  ages  ;  reckoning  five  thousand  five  hundred 
years  from  the  creation  to  the  birth  of  Christ,  instead  of 
four  thousand  and  four,  according  to  the  calculation  of  the 
modern  Jews.  This  peculiarity  is  mentioned  by  Bruce, 
who  remarks  that,  "  in  the  quantity  of  this  period  they  do 
not  agree  with  the  Greeks,  nor  with  other  eastern  nations, 
who  reckon  5508.  The  Abyssinians  adopt  the  even  num- 
ber 5500,  casting  away  the  odd  eight  years  ;  but  whether 
this  was  done  for  ease  of  calculation  or  for  some  better  rea- 
son, there  is  now  neither  book  nor  tradition  that  can  teach 
U2 


236  RELIGION    AND 

us."*  This  system  of  dates  it  is  manifest  could  not  have 
been  obtained  from  Menilec,  the  fabled  son  of  Solomon  by 
the  queen  of  the  South  ;  it  could  not  have  been  introduced 
by  the  Jews  during  their  short  ascendency  in  a  part  of 
Ethiopia,  because,  being  disappointed  as  to  the  coming  of 
the  Messiah,  they  had  already  relinquished  it  and  adopted  a 
more  limited  scheme  of  chronology  ;  hence,  we  are  neces- 
sarily brought  to  the  conclusion,  that  together  with  the 
principles  of  the  gospel  they  received  the  calculations  as  to 
the  age  of  the  world  which  were  then  held  and  taught  by  all 
Christian  divines.  Their  remote  situation  protected  them, 
afterward  from  the  innovations,  as  well  as  excluded  them 
from  the  improvements,  which  marked  the  progress  of  a  thou- 
sand years  in  Europe  and  Western  Asia, 

Before  we  conclude  this  brief  sketch  of  the  religious  his- 
tory and  opinions  of  the  Abyssinians,  we  shall  mention  the 
last  attempt  that  has  come  to  our  knowledge  to  revive 
among  them  the  authority  of  the  Roman  church.  In  the 
year  1751,  a  mission  was  sent  into  their  country  consisting 
of  three  Franciscan  friars,  named  Remedio  and  Martino  of 
Bohemia,  and  Antonio  of  Aleppo,  who  succeeded  in  pene- 
trating as  far  as  Gondar,  where  they  rose  into  great  favour 
with  Yasous  the  Second,  as  well  as  with  the  queen-mother 
and  many  of  the  principal  nobility  about  court.  An  account 
of  this  enterprise  is  contained  in  a  manuscript  journal 
written  in  Italian,  and  now  in  the  possession  of  Lord  Va- 
lentia,  who  permitted  Mr.  Salt  to  publish  a  translation  of  it 
at  the  end  of  his  Travels  in  Abyssinia. 

On  first  meeting  with  this  narrative  the  latter  was  in- 
clined to  doubt  its  authenticity,  from  not  having  seen  any 
notice  of  such  a  mission  in  Mr.  Bruce's  volumes  ;  but  he  sub- 
sequently ascertained  several  circumstances  which  seemed 
to  place  its  credit  beyond  dispute,  especially  the  correct 
mention  of  the  names  which  the  two  emperors,  Bacuffa  and 
Yasous,  assumed  on  their  accession  to  the  throne.  There 
is  besides,  in  Bruce's  original  memoranda,  an  observation 
which  proves  that  his  great  friend  Ayto  Aylo  had  actually 

*  In  another  work  I  have  attempted  to  explain  the  intricacies  of  orien- 
tal chronology,  with  a  reference  to  the  opinions  of  the  Jews  and  early 
Christians ;  both  of  whom  held  the  epoch  mentioned  in  the  text,  and 
counted  about  5500  from  the  Creation  to  the  birth  of  the  Redeemer.— See 
Connexion  of  Sacred  and  Profane  History,  vol.  i.  p.  49-168. 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  237 

been  won  over  to  the  Roman  faith  by  one  of  these  very- 
monks.  It  is  incidentally  noticed,  "that  he  had  been  con- 
verted by  Father  Antonio,  a  Franciscan,  in  1755."* 

The  memoir  of  Remedio  is  extremely  interesting.  After 
detailing  the  perils  of  their  journey  from  Girgeh  in  Upper 
Egypt,  and  their  correspondence  with  the  Abyssinian  gov- 
ernment, he  relates,  that  on  the  19th  March,  1752,  they 
arrived  at  Gondar,  where  they  were  received  with  great 
joy,  and  pleasantly  lodged  in  the  royal  palace.  On  the  fol- 
lowing day  the  emperor,  who  at  that  time  resided  at  Kahha, 
sent  for  them  to  an  audience  ;  and  after  they  had  made  a 
profound  reverence  he  addressed  them  in  the  following 
words  : — "  I  embrace  you  with  all  my  heart, — I  welcome  you 
with  gladness,  and  congratulate  you  on  your  happy  arrival. 
While  yet  a  child  I  wished  ardently  to  have  men  like  you  in 
my  kingdom  ;  on  this  account  I  exceedingly  rejoice  at  your 
coming,  and  I  promise  you,  as  long  as  I  live,  my  favour,  pro- 
tection, and  assistance." 

He  then  began  to  interrogate  them  with  respect  to  the 
following  points:  1st,  Where  are  the  tables  of  Moses? 
2d,  Concerning  the  Queen  of  Sheba?  3d,  In  what  lan- 
guage Christ  will  judge  the  world?  4th,  In  what  language 
did  he  speak  when  conversing  with  men  ;  and  what  was  the 
first  spoken  language  1  He  asked  many  other  questions 
respecting  Europeans,  their  customs,  and  manner  of  living  ; 
which  they  answered  to  the  content  and  satisfaction  of  the 
emperor  ;  "  who,  gratified  by  our  discourse,  rose  from  his 
throne,  which  was  fashioned  like  a  bed,  and  spoke  thus, — 
4  This  house  shall  be  your  habitation.'  " 

The  favour  shown  to  the  Italian  monks  produced  as 
usual  a  furious  rebellion,  and  rendered  their  departure  from 
the  kingdom  a  matter  of  necessity.  But  the  friars  did  not 
yield  a  willing  submission  ;  on  the  contrary,  they  addressed 
the  sovereign  and  his  mother  with  evangelical  license  on  the 
Catholic  faith,  and  threatened  them  with  eternal  damnation 
if  they  did  not  show  obedience  to  the  truths  of  the  gospel. 
At  length,  however,  they  were  driven  out  of  the  palace  by 
main  force  ;  "  in  leaving  which  we  shook  the  dust  oft'  from 
our  feet,  and  publicly  upbraided  the  emperor  and  his  people 
with  their  infidelity,  exclaiming  with  a  loud  voice,  '  We  are 

*  Appendix  to  vol.  vii.  p.  05,  third  edition ;  and  Salt's  Travels,  p.  484 


238  RELIGION    AND 

driven  away  by  false  Christians ;  let  us  fly  then  and  seek 
refuge  among  the  Gentiles.'  "* 

The  literature  of  the  Ethiopians,  like  that  of  the  ancient 
Jews,  appears  to  have  been  confined  to  their  religious  service 
and  the  chronicles  of  their  nation.  Their  history,  which 
Mr.  Bruce  had  the  merit  of  making  known  to  Europe,  bears 
a  striking  resemblance  to  the  narratives  of  the  Hebrew 
priests,  whose  duty  it  was,  under  Divine  superintendence, 
to  record  the  acts  of  their  kings  as  well  as  to  transmit  their 
characters  to  succeeding  generations.  The  poetry  of  Abys- 
sinia, too,  like  the  pious  effusions  of  the  Israelites,  is  con- 
fined to  sacred  subjects, — the  praises  of  God,  or  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  triumphs  and  deliverances  achieved  by  the  fathers 
of  their  people  guided  by  the  hand  of  Providence.  For 
lighter  compositions,  such  as  amused  the  leisure  or  gratified 
the  taste  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  they  entertain  the  most 
sovereign  contempt ;  regarding  it  as  rather  an  unholy  ex- 
ercise to  employ  the  fascinating  powers  of  music  and  poeti- 
cal numbers  for  any  purpose  less  exalted  than  religion. 
Their  only  pastime  which  partakes  at  all  of  a  literary  nature 
are  riddles  and  enigmas  ;  reminding  the  traveller  of  the  en- 
tertainments which  enlivened  the  marriage  of  Samson,  and 
of  the  simple  state  of  society  in  which  that  champion 
flourished. 

The  Abyssinians  have  the  entire  Scriptures  as  we  have, 
and  reckon  the  same  number  of  books  ;  but  these  are  very 
seldom  found  in  the  habitation  of  any  one  individual ;  as 
few  of  them,  from  extreme  poverty,  are  able  to  purchase  the 
whole,  either  of  the  historical  or  prophetical  portion  of  the 
Old  Testament.  The  same  remark  applies  to  the  New 
Testament,  complete  copies  of  which  are  extremely  scarce. 
Nowhere  indeed  except  in  churches  is  there  to  be  seen  more 
than  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  ;  and  the  pos- 
session of  even  these  implies  no  ordinary  degree  of  wealth. 
The  Revelation  of  St.  John  is  a  piece  of  favourite  reading 
among  the  priests,  and  so  is  the  Song  of  Solomon,  although 
the  latter  is  forbidden  to  deacons,  laymen,  and  women. 
They  make  no  distinction  between  canonical  and  apocryphal 
books.  Bel  and  the  Dragon  is  perused  with  equal  rever- 
ence as  the  Acts,  and  it  is  suspected  with  equal  edification ; 

*  Salt,  Appendix,  p.  xxxi.  &c. 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIAN  239 

a  spirit  of  impartiality  which  extends  even  to  the  history  of 
St.  George  and  other  legends  having  no  better  foundation 
in  ecclesiastical  history. 

Next  to  the  New  Testament  they  place  the  Constitutions 
of  the  Apostles,  which,  as  far  as  a  certain  class  of  questions 
is  considered,  may  be  called  the  written  law  of  the  country. 
They  have  also  a  general  Liturgy,  or  Book  of  Common 
Prayer,  besides  a  variety  of  manuals  appropriated  to  par- 
ticular festivals.  Selections  from  the  volumes  of  the  Greek 
Fathers  occasionally  occur,  as  also  versions  of  the  more 
practical  and  devotional  tracts  of  Athanasius,  Basil,  Chry- 
sostom,  and  Cyril.  But  the  most  popular  work  is  the 
Flower  of  the  Saints,  in  which  are  recorded  the  lives  and 
miracles  of  their  holy  men,  mixed  with  fables  of  the  most 
incredible  and  even  ridiculous  nature.  The  book  of  Enoch, 
which,  though  quoted  by  St.  Jude,  has  been  universally  held 
as  apocryphal,  likewise  finds  a  place  in  their  sacred  library. 
It  deserves  the  same  reception  as  has  been  bestowed  on  the 
Organon  Denghel  or  Musical  Instrument  of  the  Virgin 
Mary  ;  a  treatise  which  is  said  to  compensate  by  the  beauty 
of  its  style  for  the  manifold  absurdities  it  everywhere 
contains. 

Among  the  works  mentioned  by  Ludolf,  there  is  one  en- 
titled the  Book  of  Philosophy,  which  he  acknowledges  it 
was  not  his  good  fortune  to  see.  The  notions  on  general 
physics  entertained  by  the  Abyssinians  are  extremely  lim- 
ited, and  carry  us  back  to  the  first  efforts  made  by  the  hu- 
man mind  to  connect  effects  with  causes.  They  maintain 
that  man  was  formed  out  of  the  four  elements,  the  moist, 
the  dry,  the  cold,  and  the  warm ;  that  the  soul  proceeds 
from  the  inspiration  of  the  Almighty  and  never  dies ;  but 
that  the  spirit  of  life,  which  consists  in  the  blood,  is  mortal 
and  perishes  with  the  body.  They  hold  that  the  corpse  of 
a  Christian  is  not  unclean  ;  because,  though  it  has  ceased 
to  retain  either  the  intellectual  or  the  sensitive  soul,  it  has 
not  been  deprived  of  the  grace  conferred  on  it  by  baptism. 
In  regard  to  the  system  of  the  world  and  the  structure  of 
our  globe,  they  hold  that  the  latter  is  a  plain,  and  that  the 
sun  and  stars  find  their  way,  from  the  west  where  they  set 
to  the  east  where  they  rise,  by  a  secret  path  under  the  earth. 
Among  such  a  people  we  must  not  expect  that  law  should 
be  found  elevated  to  the  rank  of  a  science.     Custom  and  a 


240  RELIGION    AND 

certain  analogy  grafted  upon  it  constitute  the  only  guide  to 
the  magistrate  and  judge,  who  decide  most  cases  on  a  gene- 
ral principle  of  equity  applied  according  to  circumstances. 

The  art  of  healing  is  likewise  in  a  very  low  state ;  for 
the  use  of  the  burning  iron  continues  to  supersede  all  otb?r 
surgical  instruments.  A  few  herbs,  recommended  by  ex- 
perience, are  found  beneficial  in  attacks  of  the  viscera. 
The  tertian  fever  is  cured  by  means  of  the  torpedo  or  elec- 
trical eel,  which  is  said  to  cause  indescribable  torture. 
When  the  plague  or  any  contagious  epidemic  appears,  the 
people  flee  from  their  villages  with  their  cattle  and  goods, 
seeking  in  the  mountains  an  escape  from  so  formidable 
an  evil. 

The  attempts  which  have  been  lately  made  by  the  Prot- 
estant societies  in  this  country  will,  it  is  hoped,  soon  render 
the  literature  of  Abyssinia  more  familiar  to  the  European 
scholar.  The  Scriptures,  or  at  least  a  portion  of  them,  have 
been  translated  into  the  principal  dialects  of  the  Ethiopic 
tongue,  especially  those  of  Amhara  and  Tigre\  The  Jesuits 
in  former  days  distinguished  themselves  by  their  zealous 
application  to  the  study  of  the  native  languages,  and  even 
brought  home  some  trophies  of  their  success  in  conquering 
difficulties,  though  placed  in  circumstances  so  unfavourable 
to  literary  pursuits.  To  them  we  are  indebted  for  the  New 
Testament  in  the  Ethiopic,  which  is  inserted  in  Walton's 
Polyglott.  In  the  Christian  Researches  of  Mr.  Jowett  will 
be  found  an  account  of  certain  efforts,  made  by  him  during 
his  residence  in  the  East,  to  procure  for  the  Bible  Society 
versions  of  the  Sacred  Writings  in  the  forms  of  speech  most 
commonly  used  in  the  several  provinces  of  Abyssinia.  His 
labours,  though  not  altogether  fruitless,  were  not  attended 
with  such  results  as  might  inspire  universal  confidence  ;  but 
the  acquisitions  already  attained  will  assist  materially  in 
facilitating  the  progress  of  more  accomplished  workmen 
than  he  had  it  in  his  power  to  employ.* 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  condition  of  Abyssinia  at  the 
present  moment  presents  strong  claims  to  the  aid  and  sym- 
pathy of  the  Christian  world.  Nearly  thirty  years  ago, 
Lord  Valentia  pointed  out  the  importance  of  opening  a  direct 
communication  between  that  country  and  Britain  ;  stating 

*  Page  196,  &c. 


LITERATURE    OF    ETHIOPIA.  241 

his  conviction  that  our  holy  religion  in  its  better  forms,  if 
offered  to  their  acceptance  with  caution  and  moderation, 
would  meet  with  a  favourable  reception.  At  any  rate,  the 
improvements  in  art  and  science,  which  always  follow  com- 
merce, would  meliorate  the  national  character,  and  assist  in 
bringing  back  their  belief  and  worship  to  a  purity  which 
they  have  long  lost.  The  restoration  of  tranquillity  to  the 
provinces,  and  a  legal  trade  to  the  empire,  would  also  have 
the  very  important  effect  of  putting  an  end  to  the  exporta- 
tion of  slaves  ;  which  here  is  not  only  liable  to  the  same 
objections  as  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa,  but  to  the  still 
greater  one  that  the  individuals  thus  sold  and  expatriated 
are  Christians,  and  are  moreover  carried  into  Arabia,  where 
they  inevitably  lose  at  once  their  liberty  and  their  religion. 
Mr.  Salt  announced  that  the  nation  with  its  religion  was 
fast  verging  to  ruin.  The  Galla  and  Mussulman  tribes 
around  are  daily  1  ecoming  more  powerful;  and  "  there  is 
reason  to  fear  that  the  very  name  of  Christ  may  be  lost 
among  them."* 

Lord  Valenria's  Travels,  vol.  iii.  pp.  247,  256. 
X 


242  MANNERS    AND    CUSTOMS 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Manners  and  Customs  of  Ethiopia. 

Present  state  of  Abyssinia— Weakness  of  the  Monarch— Nature  of  Suc- 
cession—Court  of  Justice— Modes  of  Punishment— Similarity  to  the 
Persians — Humane  Maxims — Aversion  to  eat  with  Strangers— Com- 
plexion and  Features— Marriage  Ceremonies — Manner  of  Christening 
— Whimsical  Practice  to  preserve  the  Life  of  Children— Superstitions — 
Buda—  Singular  Anecdotes — The  Zackary — Strange  Delusion  of  Tigre- 
ter— Mode  of  Cure— Example  witnessed  by  Mr.  Pearee — Case  of  his 
own  Wife— Trembling  Picture— The  Crying  Cross — Delusion  by  a 
Dofter— Opinion  of  Welled  Salasse — Chastisement  of  the  Dofter — 
Astonishing  Mimic — Diseases  and  Death  ascribed  to  Demons — Fevers 
— Small-pox— Inoculation— Practice  of  Galla— Scrofula— Tapeworm — 
Customs  at  Funerals— Criers— Lawyers— Practice  in  regard  to  Pun- 
ishment of  Murderers— Agriculture— Cookery — Usages  at  the  Table — 
Cutting  of  the  Shulada — Narrative  of  Bruce— Disbelieved  in  Europe- 
Questioned  by  Mr.  Salt— Description  of  a  Feast — Mode  of  Feeding  at 
Table— Attempt  to  reconcile  Bruce  and  Salt — Change  of  Manners  in 
the  Interval— Character  of  the  Nobility  and  Higher  Classes — Rigid 
Feasts — Disorderly  Conduct  of  the  Clergy— Extract  from  Purchas's  Pil- 
grims—Conclusion. 

Abyssinia  in  our  days  presents  the  singular  spectacle  of 
an  absolute  monarchy  divested  of  all  regal  power,  and 
stripped  of  the  advantages  which  arise  from  hereditary  suc- 
cession. By  the  principles  of  the  ancient  constitution,  the 
sovereign  was  clothed  with  a  degree  of  authority  and  an  ex- 
tent of  prerogative,  which  if  exercised,  must  have  soon 
proved  incompatible  with  all  personal  rights  and  individual 
property.  Not  only  was  the  whole  land  in  the  empire  held 
as  fiefs  from  the  crown  revocable  at  pleasure,  but  the  life 
and  liberty  of  every  subject  could  be  taken  away  at  the  will 
of  the  prince  without  remonstrance  or  appeal. 

To  guard  against  these  manifest  evils,  the  nobility,  and 
more  especially  the  governors  of  provinces,  have  contrived 
to  disarm  the  prerogative  by  retaining  in  their  hands  the 
power  of  the  sword.  The  Ras  appointed  to  each  large  sec- 
tion of  the  kingdom  became  in  fact  the  ruler  of  it ;  limiting 
his  obedience  according  to  circumstances,  and  marching  his 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  243 

troops  against  his  master  more  frequently  than  against  the 
public  enemy.  Hence  the  emperor  of  Abyssinia  during  the 
last  hundred  years  has  possessed  nothing  of  sovereignty  but 
the  name ;  and  as  the  succession  to  the  throne  is  not  deter- 
mined by  fixed  laws,  it  is  usually  filled  by  the  most  active  par- 
tisan or  the  most  daring  rebel.  In  short,  as  the  crown  is  hered- 
itary in  one  family  but  elective  in  the  person,  the  presump- 
tive heirs,  under  a  system  of  polygamy,  must  have  multi- 
plied so  much  as  to  create  constant  disputes  ;  so  that  it  was 
found  necessary  to  provide  a  remedy  for  the  anarchy  as 
well  as  the  effusion  of  royal  blood  which  was  likely  to  follow, 
by  confining  the  junior  members  of  the  king's  house  to  a 
high  mountain,  where  they  were  maintained  with  at  least 
some  regard  to  their  rank  and  prospects.* 

When  Bruce  was  in  Abyssinia,  it  was  perfectly  under- 
stood that  the  choice  of  a  sovereign  rested  with  the  principal 
officers  in  the  army  and  the  strongest  party  at  court.  There 
was  no  preference  given  to  birthright  or  legitimacy.  It  was 
only  necessary  that  the  candidate  should  have  sprung  from 
royal  lineage  and  be  unmutilated  in  his  person.  When  a 
king  dies  and  the  succession  is  not  disputed,  he  is  usually 
put  into  his  coffin  before  the  proclamation  of  the  next. 
The  body  is  then  brought  into  a  large  hall  of  the  palace  ; 
the  queen  and  royal  family,  with  the  chief  courtiers,  make 
the  most  frantic  exclamations  and  show  of  grief ;  the  whole 
city  is  in  mourning ;  the  people  cut  their  hair  and  cover 
themselves  with  mean  apparel.  The  young  king  is  then 
brought  into  the  banqueting  room  ;  the  priests,  judges,  and 
nobles  who  happen  to  be  near  the  capital,  attend  ;  they 
spread  carpets  on  the  floor  and  place  him  on  the  throne  ; 
the  Kees  Hatze,  or  royal  ahnoner,  who  represents  the  priest 


*  A  similar  custom  appears  to  have  prevailed  among  the  ancient  He- 
brews, for  in  the  threatening  denounced  by  God  against  Jeroboam  and 
Ahab,  namely,  the  extinction  of  their  male  progeny,  it  is  said,  "  I  will 
cut  off  him  that  is  shut  up  and  left  in  Israel."  In  Palestine  as  well  as 
in  Abyssinia  the  practice  seems  to  have  undergone  a  change,  for  we  are 
told  that  the  seventy  sons  of  Ahab,  who  were  in  Samaria,  lived  with  the 
great  men  of  the  city  who  brought  them  up.  This  is  now  the  usage  in 
the  latter  country  also;  the  establishment  at  Wechne  having  been  dis- 
continued, and  the  inmates  intrusted  to  the  charge  of  the  nobility  through- 
out the  empire. — Commentators  neglecting  the  habits  of  oriental  nations, 
have  not  been  successful  in  explaining  the  portions  of  Scripture  now 
alluded  to ;  1  Kings  xiv.  10,  xxi.  21. 


244  MANNERS    AND    CUSTOMS 

that  officiated  at  the  Jewish  coronation,  pours  olive  oil  from 
a  horn  on  his  head  ;  and  the  Search  Maseri,  or  chamberlain, 
crowns  him  with  these  words  :  "  David,  king  of  kings,  is 
dead ;  Yasous  our  king  liveth  :  his  we  were  who  is  dead  ;  his 
we  are  who  is  alive.  Mourn  ye  for  the  dead  and  rejoice  for 
the  living."  At  this  the  female  mourners,  appointed  for 
the  special  service,  raise  a  shriek  of  lamentation  ;  while  the 
nobles  shout  for  joy,  exclaiming,  Long  live  King  Yasous  ! 
and,  prostrating  themselves  at  his  feet,  kiss  his  hand.* 

When  this  burst  of  joy  is  ended,  the  funeral  obsequies  of 
the  deceased  monarch  are  performed.  The  body  being 
embalmed  in  a  particular  manner,  by  persons  who  follow 
this  profession,  is  conveyed  with  great  ceremony  to  the 
vault  of  some  favourite  church.  When  they  approach  the 
sacred  edifice,  the  priests  read  a  burial  service  from  the 
Psalms  of  David  ;  after  which  the  coffin  is  placed  in  the 
sepulchre  of  the  kings  in  presence  of  the  imperial  family 
and  nobles. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  royal  standard  of  Abyssinia  dis- 
plays the  lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  to  indicate  the  descent  of 
its  kings  from  Solomon  ;  a  fiction,  it  may  be  presumed,  by 
which  the  clergy  flattered  the  vanity  of  the  monarch  and 
preserved  the  relic  of  a  custom  older  than  Christianity.  In 
the  fair  season  of  the  year  his  majesty  was  always  in  the 
field.  The  form  of  the  camp  was  so  established  by  ancient 
usage,  that  in  every  place  it  assumed  the  same  appearance 
and  regular  order.  It  is  said  that  even  their  palaces  and 
towns  were  modelled  according  to  the  plan  which  was  fol- 
lowed in  the  distribution  of  the  tents.  The  household  was 
very  numerous,  and  the  members  of  it  were  distinguished  by 
badges  which  indicated  their  respective  stations. 

A  little  removed  from  the  royal  pavilion  or  station  was  a 
large  square  tent,  with  six  seats  on  either  side,  and  one  at 
the  end  higher  than  the  others,  which  indicated  the  presence 
of  the  king.  This  was  the  hall  of  justice  where  causes 
were  heard,  and  whence  the  opinion  of  the  judges  was  con- 
veyed to  his  majesty,  who  from  a  concealed  recess  or  al- 
cove expressed  his  concurrence  or  dissent.  Before  pro- 
ceeding to  business  in  that  court,  or  Saccala  as  it  was 

*  We  have  inserted  names  at  discretion, 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  245 

termed,  the  official  persons  pronounced  a  prayer,  and  then 
chanted  the  following  sentences  : — 

"From  the  day  of  vengeance ;  from  the  day  of  doom, 

How  shall  the  soul  escape  1 

When  the  mother  cannot  3ave  her  child,  and  the  earth 

shall  surrender  her  prisoners, 

How  shall  the  soul  escape  1 

When  the  assembly  shall  accuse  us  with  terrors ;  when  our 

deeds  shall  be  opened  and  spread  out,  and  all  that  we  have  done 

shall  be  read, 

How  shall  the  soul  escape  T 

When  our  Lord  shall  sit  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  on  the  day 

of  the  Sabbath,  and  all  his  disciples  beside  him, 

How  shall  the  soul  escape  f 

With  such  holy  exercise  the  assessors  of  the  Abyssinian 
monarch  were  wont  to  prepare  themselves  for  the  solemn 
duty  of  awarding  justice  between  man  and  man  ;  and  in  all 
cases  where  the  immediate  interests  of  the  crown  were  not 
concerned,  the  path  of  equity  is  said  to  have  been  followed 
with  no  small  degree  of  self-denial  and  steadiness. 

The  troubles,  indeed,  which  followed  the  successes  of  the 
Galla  rendered  property  extremely  insecure,  and  in  fact  sus- 
pended the  authority  of  law.  While  Pearce  was  in  the 
country  the  only  protection  to  which  the  lower  classes  had 
recourse  was  the  appearance  of  extreme  indigence.  The 
people  of  Tigre,  he  informs  us,  were  treated  by  their  gov- 
ernors better  than  the  natives  of  Amhara  ;  a  poor  man 
among  the  former  could  get  some  justice  done  to  him  when 
wronged,  whereas  in  the  latter  province  he  dared  not  even 
wear  a  good  cloth  on  his  back,  for  fear  of  being  stripped  by 
the  soldiers  of  Guxo,  the  victorious  leader  of  the  barbarians. 
An  old  man,  who  had  been  three  years  a  faithful  servant  to 
Mr.  Coffin,  requested  leave  to  repair  to  Gondar,  where  he 
had  two  sons  and  a  daughter  whom  he  had  not  seen  for 
nine  years.  His  master  gave  him  permission  to  go,  but 
wished  him  to  buy  a  new  dress  previously,  that  he  might 
appear  respectable  when  he  should  arrive  at  his  native  place. 
The  other  replied  that  the  rags  would  suit  him  best ;  for,  says 
he,  "  If  I  have  a  new  cloth  on,  some  of  Guxo's  Galla  will 
strip  me,  but  if  I  have  a  ragged  one  they  will  leave  it  to  me, 
and  that  will  be  at  least  more  decent  than  to  go  naked.". 

When  on  the  subject  of  justice  we  may  remark,  that  in 
X2 


246         MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 

Abyssinia  when  a  prisoner  is  condemned  to  death,  lie  is  not 
remitted  to  prison,  which  is  thought  cruel,  but  is  immedi- 
ately carried  forth  to  execution.  The  capital  punishments 
are  various,  and  among  others  the  cross.  Socinios,  we 
find  in  the  annals  quoted  by  Bruce,  commanded  that  Arzo, 
his  competitor,  who  had  fled  for  assistance  and  refuge  to 
Phineas,  king  of  the  Falasha,  should  be  crucified  without 
the  camp.  Nor  is  it  uncommon  for  great  malefactors  to  be 
flayed  alive  ;  an  instance  of  which  occurred  when  Woosheka 
was  made  prisoner  in  the  campaign  of  1769.  He  had  taken 
away  the  life  of  Ozoro,  Esther's  husband  ;  and  she,  kind 
and  humane  in  all  other  respects,  declared  that  she  would 
not  be  satisfied  with  a  less  severe  atonement.  Lapidation, 
or  stoning  to  death,  is  likewise  practised  in  the  same  country. 
This  is  chiefly  inflicted  upon  strangers  for  religious  causes, 
and  more  especially  on  the  Catholic  priests  who  have  been 
detected  there  since  the  days  of  Facilidas.  In  the  streets 
of  Gondar  are  still  seen  heaps  of  stones,  which  cover  the 
bodies  of  those  unfortunate  missionaries  whose  labours  in 
the  cause  of  the  gospel  w:ere  thus  requited.  The  plucking 
out  of  the  eyes  is  a  torture  commonly  reserved  for  such  as 
are  taken  in  actual  rebellion.  After  the  battle  of  Fagitta, 
according  to  the  narrative  of  the  British  traveller,  twelve 
chiefs  of  the  Pagan  Galla  underwent  this  fate,  and  were 
afterward  turned  out  to  starve  in  the  valleys  below  the  town. 
Several  prisoners  of  another  rank  were  subjected  to  the 
same  operation  ;  and,  what  is  wonderful,  not  one  of  them 
died  in  consequence,  though  it  was  performed  in  the  coarsest 
manner  with  an  iron  forceps  or  pincers.  It  is  added  that 
the  dead  bodies  of  criminals  executed  for  high  treason,  mur- 
der, or  violence  on  the  highway,  are  seldom  buried,  but  are 
left  to  be  devoured  by  the  dogs,  hyenas,  and  other  wild  beasts. 
In  all  these  respects  there  is  a  similarity  so  striking  be- 
tween the  usages  of  the  Abyssinians  and  those  of  the  Per- 
sians, that  some  writers  have  attempted  to  establish  on  this 
ground  alone  the  proof  of  one  origin  for  the  two  nations. 
Such  a  resemblance,  however,  may  be  easily  explained  on 
the  basis  of  the  historical  fact  that  the  latter  people  were 
long  in  possession  of  Arabia,  between  which  and  the  oppo- 
site coast  of  the  Red  Sea  there  was  a  very  ancient  inter- 
course. In  truth,  the  customs  mentioned  in  several  authors 
as  peculiar  to  Persia  were  at  a  certain  period  common  to  all 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  247 

the  East,  and  were  only  lost  in  other  countries  when  they 
were  overrun  and  subdued  by  more  barbarous  tribes.  As 
the  laws,  manners,  and  habits  of  Susa  and  Ecbatana  were 
committed  to  writing,  and  stamped  with  the  character 
of  perpetuity,  they  survived  for  a  time  the  conquests  which 
changed  the  face  of  society  in  a  large  portion  of  Western 
Asia,  and  thereby  acquired  for  their  authors  the  reputation 
of  universal  legislators.  The  accident  of  having  been  many 
ages  excluded  from  the  ingress  of  foreigners  has  secured 
for  Abyssinia  a  corresponding  originality ;  or,  in  other 
words,  has  enabled  her  to  preserve,  in  a  state  more  entire 
than  they  are  now  found  anywhere  else,  a  set  of  usages 
both  national  and  domestic,"  which  we  may  presume  for- 
merly prevailed  from  the  Nile  to  the  remotest  shores  of  the 
Asiatic  continent. 

The  Abyssinian  monarchs,  like  those  of  Persia,  were 
seldom  seen  by  their  subjects, — a  seclusion  which  was  in- 
tended to  increase  the  reverence  of  the  multitude  for  the 
person  and  office  of  a  sovereign.  This  expedient,  however 
wise  in  some  respects,  was  found  to  give  rise  to  serious 
abuses.  In  the  court  of  Persepolis  it  produced  two  officers, 
one  of  whom  was  called  the  king's  eye,  and  the  other  the 
king's  ear,  and  their  employment  was  to  see  and  hear  for 
his  majesty.  In  Abyssinia  it  led  to  a  similar  appointment, 
the  chief  who  held  it  being  denominated  the  king's  mouth 
or  voice ;  for  the  latter,  being  seen  by  nobody,  his  deputy 
spoke  of  course  in  the  third  person.  The  usual  form  of 
royal  mandates  is,  "Hear  what  the  king  says  to  you  ;"  and 
what  follows  has  always  the  validity  and  obligation  of  law. 
The  Assyrians,  the  Medes,  the  Persians,  and  even  the 
Hebrews,  adopted  the  same  method  and  style  in  their  com- 
munications to  the  people. 

It  is  not  unworthy  of  notice,  that  no  man  is  condemned 
by  the  emperor  in  person  to  die  for  the  first  fault,  unless 
the  crime  be  of  a  very  atrocious  nature,  such  as  parricide 
or  sacrilege.  In  general,  too,  the  earlier  life  and  merits 
of  the  prisoner  are  weighed  against'  his  immediate  guilt ; 
and  if  his  former  good  conduct  is  thought  to  have  conferred 
on  the  state  a  benefit  greater  than  the  injury  for  which  he 
is  now  called  to  account,  he  is  usually  absolved  by  the 
monarch. 


248  MANNERS    AND    CUSTOMS 

The  Abyssinians  retain  the  ancient  aversion  to  eat  and 
drink  with  strangers,  although  they  seem  not  to  understand 
the  reason  upon  which  the  prohibition  was  originally 
founded.  They  break  or  purify  every  vessel  that  has  been 
used  by  one  who  is  not  of  their  own  blood.  The  history 
of  religion  can  alone  explain  such  usages,  which,  in  fact, 
had  a  reference  to  the  sacred  nature  of  certain  animals, 
worshipped  by  one  tribe  and  killed  for  food  by  another,  and 
therefore  viewed  alternately  as  gods  and  as  abominations. 

In  attempting  to  delineate  the  physical  character  of  the 
inhabitants  of  this  part  of  Ethiopia,  Bruce  informs  us  that 
their  complexion  resembles  the  colour  of  pale  ink.  He  has 
selected,  as  specimens  of  the  features  which  distinguish  the 
higher  class,  the  portraits  of  two  ladies  who  figured  at 
court, — the  wife  of  Ras  Michael,  and  Tecla  Mariam,  the 
daughter  of  an  able  statesman.  The  latter  of  these  females 
was  esteemed  very  beautiful  by  the  natives,  and  is  pro- 
nounced by  the  traveller  just  named  as  deserving  of  all  the 
praise  which  was  bestowed  upon  her  fine  appearance. 

Pearce  assures  us  that  the  Abyssinians  vary  much  in 
their  colour ;  some  being  very  black,  with  hair  nearly 
straight,  others  copper-coloured,  some  much  fairer,  with 
the  hair  almost  woolly,  and  a  fourth  description  having  the 
same  complexion  with  long  hair.  This  mixture  arises 
from  the  unsettled  nature  of  family  relations,  which  partake 
of  the  constant  changes  in  local  government  and  property. 
A  woman  may  be  the  mother  of  six  or  seven  children,  whose 
fathers  have  migrated  from  as  many  different  provinces  : 
for,  as  soon  as  one  chief  expels  another,  the  followers 
of  the  vanquished  leader  accompany  him  into  some  new  dis- 
trict, leaving  wives  and  children  to  the  protection  of  their 
more  fortunate  successors. 

Nothing  in  truth  appears  to  be  more  insecure  than  the 
marriage  tie  in  Abyssinia.  Perhaps  it  might  be  asserted, 
that  there  are  no  other  obligations  than  such  as  are  con- 
tracted by  mutual  consent,  and  which  subsist  only  as  long 
as  both  parties  are  inclined  to  respect  them.  After  sep- 
aration these  engagements  may  be  again  renewed,  again 
violated,  and  a  third  time  repeated.  Bruce  met  at  Koscam, 
in  the  presence  of  the  queen-mother,  a  lady  of  great  rank 
with  seven  men  who  had  all  been  her  husbands,  and  no  one 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  249 

of  whom  could  claim  her  for  wife  at  that  particular  juncture. 
When  married  individuals  agree  to  part  they  divide  the 
children  according  to  certain  rules.  The  eldest  son  falls  to 
the  mother,  and  the  eldest  daughter  to  the  father.  If  there 
is  but  one  girl,  and  all  the  rest  boys,  she  is  assigned  to  the 
male  parent  ;  and  if  there  is  but  one  son,  and  all  the  others 
girls,  he  is  the  right  of  the  mother.  If -the  numbers  are 
unequal  after  the  first  selection,  the  remainder  are  distributed 
by  lot.  From  the  king  to  the  beggar  there  is  no  distinction 
between  legitimate  and  illegitimate  offspring ;  there  being 
in  fact  no  principle  on  which  the  preference  could  be  made 
to  rest,  except  in  the  case  of  the  royal  family,  where  the 
mother  of  the  heir  is  previously  selected  and  usually 
crowned. 

In  his  ordinary  marriages  the  king  uses  no  other  ceremony 
than  the  following :  He  sends  an  officer  to  the  house  where 
the  lady  lives,  who  announces  to  her  that  it  is  the  king's 
pleasure  that  she  should  remove  instantly  to  the  palace. 
She  then  dresses  herself  in  her  best  manner  and  immediately 
obeys.  Thenceforward  he  assigns  her  an  apartment  in  the 
royal  dwelling,  and  gives  her  a  house  elsewhere  in  any  place 
she  may  choose.  There  is  an  approach  to  a  regular  marriage 
when  he  makes  one  of  his  wives  Iteghe  ;  for  on  that  occasion 
he  orders  a  judge  to  pronounce  in  his  presence  that  "  the 
king  has  chosen  his  handmaid  for  his  queen."  The  crown 
is  then  applied  to  her  brows,  but  she  is  not  anointed.  The 
beautiful  story  of  Ahasuerus  and  Esther  will  occur  to  the 
recollection  of  every  reader  ;  for  it  was  when  she  "  had 
found  grace  in  his  sight  more  than  the  other  virgins,  that  he 
placed  a  golden  crown  upon  her  head."  This  coronation  in 
Abyssinia  conveys  a  great  political  privilege,  constituting  her 
majesty  regent  during  the  nonage  of  her  son  ;  a  point  of 
correspondence  which  history  does  not  enable  us  to  trace  in 
any  of  the  mighty  kingdoms  that  covered  the  banks  of  the 
Euphrates. 

The  ordinary  method  of  contracting  trie  matrimonial  union 
among  people  of  condition  and  "  such  as  fear  God"  is  the 
following  :  A  man,  when  he  resolves  to  marry  a  girl,  sends 
some  person  to  her  father  to  ask  his  consent.  When  this  is 
granted  the  future  husband  is  invited  to  the  house,  and  an 
oath  is  mutually  taken  by  the  parties  that  they  will  maintain 
due  fidelity  to  each  other.     Then  the  parent  of  the  bride 


250  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 

presents  to  the  young  suitor  the  fortune  that  he  intends  to 
give  ;  consisting  usually  of  a  particular  sum  of  gold,  some 
oxen,  sheep,  or  horses,  according  to  their  circumstances  in 
society.  The  bridegroom,  however,  is  obliged  to  find  surety 
to  the  amount  of  the  goods,  in  case  he  should  dismiss  his 
wife,  and  prove  unable  to  restore  all  that  he  has  got.  He 
is  also  obliged  to*secure  an  additional  sum  of  money,  or  its 
equivalent  in  effects,  to  the  lady,  lest  he  should  choose  to 
separate  from  her  without  any  valid  reason. 

A  certain  period,  twenty  or  thirty  days,  is  also  determined 
by  a  reciprocal  oath,  before  the  expiry  of  which  they  vow  to 
go  to  church  together  and  receive  the  sacrament.  When 
the  time  appointed  for  the  marriage  arrives,  the  intended 
spouse  appears  again  at  the  bride's  residence,  examines  in 
her  company  the  moveables  and  clothes  which  she  is  to  carry 
with  her,  and  swears  again  that  he  will  respect  her  property, 
use  her  well,  never  leave  her  without  food  and  raiment,  keep 
her  in  a  good  house,  and  discharge  faithfully  all  the  duties 
incumbent  upon  him  as  the  head  of  a  domestic  establishment. 
His  surety  or  sponsor  likewise  binds  himself  to  see  all  these 
obligations  punctually  fulfilled.  Matters  being  suitably  ad- 
justed, the  bridegroom  takes  his  wife  on  his  shoulders,  and 
carries  her  to  his  own  house  if  in  the  neighborhood  ;  but  if 
not,  he  limits  the  procession  to  a  complete  circuit  of  her 
father's  dwelling  ;  after  which  he  sets  her  down,  and  con- 
ducts her  into  it.  No  sooner  is  this  ceremony  performed 
than  a  solemn  banquet  takes  place,  consisting  of  raw  beef 
and  bread,  honey-wine,  and  another  beverage  called  bouza, 
extracted  from  fermented  grain.  The  feast  being  ended, 
the  parties  mount  on  mules  and  ride  to  the  gentleman's 
abode,  where  are  concluded  all  the  rites  necessary  to  marriage 
before  they  live  together.  When  they  have  completed  the 
specified  term,  they  appear  in  church,  and  declare  before  the 
priest  that  they  are  husband  and  wife,  and  that  they  are 
come  to  receive  the  sacrament.  The  clergyman,  satisfied 
with  these  assurances,  performs  mass  ;  the  young  couple 
communicate  and  return  home. 

This,  we  are  told,  is  the  established  form  of  those 
marriages  which  are  celebrated  canonically,  or  according  to 
ecclesiastical  rules.  But  it  is  clear  that  the  peasants  and 
soldiers  do  not  encumber  themselves  with  so  much  ceremony. 
No  settlement,  surety,  or  oath,  being  necessary,  they  kill  an 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  251 

ox  or  some  sheep,  which  they  eat  raw,  drink  a  great  deal 
of  bouza,  dance,  shout,  and  practise  various  kinds  of  foole- 
ries ;  and  if  a  priest  be  at  hand  he  sprinkles  them  with  holy 
water,  and  repeats  a  hallelujah.  The  company  join  in  the 
benediction  ;  and,  as  we  might  suppose  in  such  circum- 
stances, this  slight  formality  is  distinguished  by  a  greater 
degree  of  mirth  than  delicacy  of  manners. 

The  usage  at  the  marriage  of  a  prince  or  princess  is  de- 
scribed in  these  terms  :  The  match  having  been  previously 
settled  according  to  the  views  of  the  court,  preparations  are 
made  for  the  festival,  which  is  generally  held  during  the 
rainy  season,  while  the  country  is  secure  and  abandoned  to 
pleasure.  The  king  being  seated  on  his  throne  in  the  large 
hall  of  audience,  the  parties  are  introduced  into  his  presence 
with  their  respective  attendants.  After  kissing  his  hand 
they  are  all  magnificently  clothed  in  dresses  of  brocade  or 
other  rich  stuffs.  The  crown  is  sometimes  set  on  their 
heads  ;  they  receive  the  benediction  of  the  Kees  Hatze,  or 
royal  almoner  ;  after  which  they  retire  clothed  with  the 
caftan.  Having  mounted  horses  given  them  by  his  majesty, 
they  ride  in  great  state,  in  the  midst  of  loud  acclamations, 
to  the  house  of  the  husband.  A  dinner  is  prepared,  in  the 
course  of  which  many  oxen  are  slaughtered  at  the  door  in 
order  to  furnish  band,  which  is  served  up  reeking  and 
quivering  from  the  body  of  the  animal."  Deep  drinking  then 
commences,  in  which  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  indulge  to  a 
degree  which  to  a  European  appears  altogether  incredible. 
These  marriages,  it  is  added,  are  by  no  means  permanent ; 
many  of  the  Ozoros  entering  into  new  engagements  as  often 
as  they  please,  and  dissolving  the  preceding  contract  at  the 
suggestion  of  convenience  or  fancy.* 

The  manner  of  christening,  too,  is  somewhat  singular. 
A  man  does  not  stand  godfather  for  a  girl,  nor  does  a  woman 
stand  godmother  for  a  boy  ;  the  parents  usually  look  out  for 
persons  who  are  able  to  make  a  present  to  the  child.  During 
the  whole  ceremony  the  priest  swings  to  and  fro  a  brass  vase 
suspended  by  four  chains  of  the  same  metal,  with  small 
bells  attached  to  it,  in  which  there  is  frankincense  burning, 
the  fumes  of  which  fill  the  chamber  with  an  agreeable  odour. 
Before  he  places  the  child  in  the  new  cloth  held  by  the  god- 

*  Balugani,  in  Bruce,  vol.  vii.  p.  69. 


252  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 

father,  he  dips  it  in  a  large  basin  of  water,  and  then  takes  a 
small  wooden  cross,  and  beginning  on  the  forehead  says, 
"  I  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost."  After  repeating  this  he  makes  the  sign  of 
the  cross  upon  every  joint  of  the  body  behind  and  before  ; 
he  then  takes  a  feather  dipped  in  a  certain  oil,  which  is  ob- 
tained from  Egypt,  and  is  called  meiron,  repeating  this 
formula,  "  In  the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost,  I  anoint  thee  with  the  holy  oil,-as  a  token  that  thou 
hast  entered  into  Christ's  flock."  All  this  having  been  per- 
formed in  the  churchyard  near  the  entrance  gate,  the  mother 
takes  the  infant  into  the  church,  and  there  waits  till  the 
sacrament  is  administered  to  the  people  and  also  to  her  child. 

Pearce  mentions  a  singular  practice,  which  he  remarks 
might  appear  fabulous  to  any  one  who  had  not  witnessed  it. 
When  a  woman  has  lost  two  or  three  children  by  death,  she 
is  induced,  in  the  hope  of  saving  the  life  of  another  just 
born,  to  cut  a  piece  from  the  tip  of  the  left  ear,  roll  it  up  in 
a  piece  of  bread  and  swallow  it.  "  For  some  time,"  says  he, 
"  I  was  at  a  loss  to  conjecture  the  reason  why  a  number  of 
grown  people  of  my  acquaintance  had  one  ear  cut ;  and 
when  told  the  truth  I  could  scarcely  believe  it,  -till  I  went 
into  the  house  of  a  neighbour,  though  contrary  to  custom, 
purposely  to  see  the  operation.  An  old  woman  cut  off  the 
tip  of  the  ear,  and  put  it  into  a  bit  of  cold  cooked  victuals, 
called  sherro,  when  the  mother  of  the  infant  opened  her 
mouth  to  receive  it,  and  swallowed  it,  pronouncing  the  words, 
4  In  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost  !'  "  They 
have  recourse  to  many  other  superstitious  and  whimsical 
practices  to  prevent  children  from  dying.* 

The  superstitions  of  such  a  people  indeed  occupy  a  promi- 
nent place  in  their  statistics  ;  and  of  these  none  is  more 
remarkable  than  the  prejudice  which  expels  from  society, 
and  even  from  the  holy  sacrament,  all  men  who  work  in  iron 
or  pottery.  One  reason  for  this  strange  aversion  is,  that 
such  artisans  are  considered  even  by  their  nearest  neighbours 
as  possessing  the  supernatural  power  of  changing  themselves 
into  hyenas  and  other  ravenous  beasts.  -All  convulsions  or 
hysterical  disorders,  which  are  as  common  in  Abyssinia  as 
in  other  parts  of  the  world,  are  attributed  to  the  evil  eye  of 

*  Life  and  Adventures,  vol.  i.  p.  307. 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  253 

these  unfortunate  workmen.  They  are  known  by  the  name 
of  Buda ;  and  many  marvellous  exploits  are  attributed  to 
them,  not  only  by  the  vulgar,  but  even  by  individuals  of  su- 
perior intelligence.  Though  excluded  from  the  more  sacred 
rites  of  Christianity,  they  still  profess  great  respect  for 
religion,  and  are  not  surpassed  by  any  of  their  countrymen 
in  the  strictness  with  which  they  keep  Lent  and  the  other 
stated  fasts. 

Pearce  readily  acknowledges  his  inability  to  trace  this 
whimsical  notion  to  any  plausible  source.  Mr.  Coffin,  who 
was  in  the  country  at  the  same  time,  and  who  appears  to 
have  enjoyed  the  gift  of  deeper  reflection  than  his  comrade, 
is  equally  puzzled,  and  regards  some  of  the  facts  which 
came  immediately  under  his  own  knowledge  as  almost  in- 
explicable. The  Budas  are  distinguished,  it  seems,  from 
other  classes,  by  a  peculiarly-formed  gold  ring,  worn  by  the 
whole  race,  and  which  kind  of  ring  he  declares  he  has  fre- 
quently seen  in  the  ears  of  hyenas  that  have  been  shot, 
caught  in  traps,  or  speared  by  himself;  but  in  what  way 
these  ornaments  came  to  be  so  strangely  applied,  he  declares 
that,  after  taking  considerable  pains  to  investigate  the 
subject,  he  had  been  utterly  unable  to  discover.  Besides 
the  power  that  these  persons  are  supposed  to  have  of  trans- 
forming themselves  into  wild  animals,  they  are  imagined,  as 
we  have  already  stated,  to  possess  the  still  more  dangerous 
attribute  of  inflicting  disease  by  directing  a  malign  look 
towards  their  victim.  So  fully  convinced,  too,  are  the 
Abyssinians  that  these  unhappy  blacksmiths  are  in  the  habit 
of  rifling  the  graves  in  their  character  of  hyenas,  that  no 
one  will  venture  to  eat  what  is  called  quanter,  or  dried  meat, 
in  their  houses,  though  they  have  not  the  smallest  re- 
pugnance to  sit  down  with  them  to  a  repast  of  raw  flesh, 
where  the  killing  of  the  cow  or  sheep  before  their  eyes  dis- 
sipates at  once  the  horrible  illusion. 

Mr.  Coffin  relates  a  story  respecting  one  of  these  Budas, 
the  circumstances  of  which  fell  under  his  own  observation. 
It  happened  that  among  his  servants  he  had  hired  an  indi- 
vidual of  this  gifted  class,  who,  one  evening  when  it  was 
still  perfectly  light,  came  to  request  leave  of  absence  till  the 
next  morning.  His  petition  was  immediately  granted,  and 
the  young  man  withdrew ;  but  scarcely  had  the  master 
turned  round  to  his  other  servants',  when  some  of  them 
Y 


254  MANNERS    AND    CUSTOMS 

called  out,  pointing  in  the  direction  the  Bucla  had  taken, 
"  Look  !  look  !  he  is  turning  himself  into  a  hyena  !"  Mr. 
Coffin  instantly  looked  round,  and  though  he  certainly  did 
not  witness  the  transformation,  the  youth  had  vanished,  and 
he  saw  a  large  hyena  running  off  at  the  distance  of  about  a 
hundred  paces.  This  happened  in  an  open  plain,  where 
there  was  not  a  bush  or  tree  to  intercept  the  view.  The 
absentee  returned  ih  the  morning,  and  was  attacked  by  his 
companions  on  the  subject  of  his  metamorphosis,  which, 
according  to  the  usual  practice  of  his  brethren,  he  rather 
affected  to  countenance  than  to  deny.* 

From  the  latter  circumstance  it  has  been  inferred  that  the 
belief  in  this  most  extravagant  superstition  is,  owing  to  some 
motive  or  other,  encouraged  by  the  Budas  themselves.  The 
trades  they  follow  are  the  most  lucrative  in  the  country  ; 
and  as  these  are  exclusively  in  the  hands  of  particular  fami- 
lies, in  whom  the  right  of  exercising  them  descends  from 
father  to  son,  it  is  not  improbable  that,  in  order  to  prevent 
all  competition,  they  may  choose  to  envelop  their  persons 
and  their  craft  in  a  certain  degree  of  mystery.  With  this 
view,  it  may  be  presumed,  they  place  the  ornaments  de- 
scribed above  in  the  ears  either  of  such  young  hyenas  as 
they  may  happen  to  catch,  or  of  old  ones,  which  are  fre- 

*  Perhaps  few  readers  are  aware  that  a  very  similar  superstition  ex- 
isted among  the  Greeks  as  well  as  the  Romans,  with  respect  to  men 
turning  themselves  into  wolves.  Pliny  calls  the  persons  possessing 
this  power  of  transformation,  versipelles ;  remarking  that  "  it  is  a  fabu- 
lous opinion  not  worthy  of  credit."  He  afterward  explains  more  par- 
ticularly the  popular  helief  on  this  head,  and  makes  mention,  from  a 
Greek  author,  "  of  a  man  who  lived  nine  years  in  the  form  of  a  wolf;" 
adding,  "  but  it  is  astonishing  how  far  the  Greeks  carried  their  credu- 
lity, for  there  is  no  falsehood,  however  impudent,  that  wants  its  testi- 
mony among  them." — Hist.  Nat.  lib.  viii.  c.  2-2. 

The  following  extracts  from  Petronius  give  a  complete  view  of  this 
singular  imagination  :— "  Deinde  ut  respexi  comitem,  ille  exuit  se ; 
omnia  vestimenta  secundum  viam  posuit.  Stabam  tanquam  mortuus — 
at  ille  circumminxit  vestimenta  sua,  et  subito  lupus  factus  est.  Po6t- 
quam  lupus  factus  est  ululare  ccepit  et  in  sylvas  fugit.  Ego  primitus 
nesciebam  ubi  essem — deinde  accessi  ut  vestimenta  ejus  tollerem;  ilia 
autem  lapidea  facta  sunt.  Lupus  villain  intravit  et  omnia  pecora  tan- 
quam lanius  sanguinem  illis  misir,  nee  tamen  destitit,  etiamsi  fugit, 
servus  enim  noster  lancea  collum  ejus  trajecit  — postquam  veni  in  ilium 
locum  in  quo  lapidea  vestimenta  erant  facta,  nihil  in  veni  nisi  sanguinem. 
Utverum  domum  veni,  jacebat  comes  meus  in  lecto,  et  collum  illius 
medicus  curabat.  Intellexi  ilium  versipellern  esse,  nee  postea  cura  ilLa 
panem  gustare  potui,  non  si  me  occidisses." 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  255 

quently  entrapped,  and  then  dismiss  them  to  the  wilderness 
with  their  newly-acquired  embellishments.  This  idea  was 
stated  to  Mr.  Coffin,  who  thought  the  conjecture  more  than 
probable,  and  promised  on  his  return  to  the  country  to  do  all 
in  his  power  to  ascertain  the  fact.  He  remarked  at  the 
same  time,  that  he  had  never  seen  a  very  young  hyena  with 
the  gold  ring  in  its  ear.* 

The  Zackary,  we  are  told,  are  another  extraordinary  set 
of  beings ;  who,  though  esteemed  good  Christians,  go 
roaring  about  the  towns,  making  a  dreadful  noise,  torturing 
themselves  with  whips,  and  even  cutting  their  flesh  with 
knives.  They  are  most  numerous  in  the  province  of  Tigre, 
where  they  have  a  church,  which  is  frequented  by  no  other 
class  of  men.  They  style  themselves  the  descendants  of 
St.  George.  In  their  place  of  worship  there  is  a  light, 
which  they  assert  burns  continually  without  the  aid  of  any 
human  means.  To  put  their  miracle  to  the  test  of  experi- 
ment, Pearce  confesses  that  he  oftener  than  once  watched 
for  an  opportunity  to  blow  it  out ;  but  those  who  had  the 
charge  of  it  were  too  attentive  to  their  duty  to  allow  him  to 
succeed. 

One  of  the  most  annoying  of  their  superstitions  is  the 
belief  or  affectation  of  being  possessed  with  a  certain  kind 
of  evil  spirit,  which  cannot  be  expelled  in  any  other  way 
than  by  music  and  dancing.  This  complaint  is  called 
tigrt-ter,  and  is  more  common  among  women  than  among 
men.  It  seizes  the  body  as  if  with  a  violent  fever,  then 
turns  to  a  lingering  sickness,  which,  unless  the  proper  rem- 
edy can  be  procured,  often  reduces  the,  patient  to  the  greatest 
extremity.  During  the  paroxysm  the  speech  is  changed  to 
a  kind  of  stammering,  which  no  one  can  understand  but 
those  who  have  been  afflicted  with  the  same  disorder. 
When  the  relatives  find  the  malady  established,  they  join 
together  to  defray  the  expenses  of  curing  it ;  the  first  step 
towards  which  is  to  procure  the  assistance  of  a  learned 
dofter  or  priest,  who  reads  the  gospel  of  St.  John,  and 
drenches  the  sufferer  with  cold  water  for  the  space  of  seven 
days — an  application  that  very  often  proves  fatal.  A  more 
effectual  remedy  is  found  to  consist  in  a  band  of  trumpeters, 

*  See  a  note  by  the  Editor  of  Pearce's  Life  and  Adventures,  vol.  i.  p, 


256  MANNERS    AND    CUSTOMS 

drummers,  and  fifers,  a  full  supply  of  liquor,  and  an  assem- 
blage of  juvenile  personages  to  enjoy  these  means  of 
hilarity. 

Pearce  once  saw  a  young  woman  who  had  the  misfor- 
tune to  be  afflicted  with  this  disorder,  and  as  she  was  the 
wife  of  an  intimate  friend  he  visited  her  very  frequently. 
Her  voice  was  so  much  affected,  that  she  could  not  be  un- 
derstood by  her  nearest  relations  ;  and  it  was  observed  that 
the  sight  of  a  book  or  a  priest  threw  her  into  great  agony, 
during  which  a  torrent  of  tears,  like  blood  mingled  with 
water,  flowed  from  her  eyes.  After  allowing  her  to  linger 
three  months  in  this  miserable  condition,  the  husband  re- 
solved to  employ  the  wonted  remedy,  however  expensive 
and  inconvenient  to  him.  For  this  purpose  he  collected  a 
band  of  music,  and  likewise  borrowed  from  all  his  neigh- 
bours their  silver  ornaments,  with  which  to  load  her  arms, 
legs,  and  neck. 

The  evening  this  singular  experiment  was  tried,  our 
countryman  attended  to  give  his  assistance.  About  two 
minutes  after  the  trumpets  commenced,  he  observed  her 
shoulders  begin  to  move,  and  soon  afterward  her  head  and 
breast,  and  in  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  she  sat  up  on 
the  couch.  The  wild  look  she  had,  though  she  occasion- 
ally smiled,  made  him  withdraw  to  a  greater  distance,  being 
alarmed  to  see  a  person  reduced  almost  to  a  skeleton  exert 
such  strength  ;  her  head,  neck,  shoulders,  hands,  and  feet, 
all  moved  to  the  sound  of  the  instruments,  and  in  this  man- 
ner she  proceeded  for  some  time,  till  at  length  she  started 
up  and  stood  on  the  floor.  Afterward  she  began  to  dance 
and  to  jump  about,  and  at  last  as  the  music  and  noise  of  the 
singers  increased  she  often  sprang  three  feet  from  the 
ground.  When  the  band  slackened  she  appeared  quite  out 
of  temper,  but  when  it  became  louder  she  smiled  and  was 
delighted.  During  this  violent  exercise  she  never  showed 
the  least  symptom  of  being  tired,  though  the  musicians 
were  thoroughly  exhausted  ;  and  whenever  they  stopped  to 
take  a  little  rest  she  manifested  signs  of  the  utmost  discon- 
tent and  impatience. 

Next  day,  according  to  the  prescribed  method  in  the  cure 
of  this  disorder,  she  was  taken  to  the  market-place,  where 
several  jars  of  maize  were  provided  for  the  respective  per- 
formers.    When  the  crowd  had  assembled  and  the  music 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  257 

Was  ready,  she  advanced  into  the  centre,  where  she  began 
to  dance  and  throw  herself  into  the  maddest  postures  ima- 
ginable, and  continued  to  exert  herself  in  the  same  manner 
throughout  the  whole  day.  Towards  evening  she  was  seen 
to  drop  the  silver  ornaments  from  her  neck,  arms,  and  legs, 
one  at  a  time,  so  that  in  the  course  of  three  hours  she  had 
stripped  herself  of  every  article.  As  the  sun  went  down 
she  made  a  start  with  such  swiftness  that  the  fastest 
runner  could  not  keep  pace  with  her  ;  and  when  at  the 
.  distance  of  about  two  hundred  yards,  she  fell  to  the  ground 
on  a  sudden  as  if  she  had  been  shot.  Soon  afterward  a 
young  man  fired  a  matchlock  over  her  body,  struck  her  on 
the  back  with  the  side  of  his  large  knife,  and  asked  her 
name,  to  which  she  answered  as  when  in  possession  of  her 
senses  ;  a  sure  proof  that  the  cure  was  accomplished,  for 
during  this  malady  those  afflicted  with  it  never  answer  to 
their  Christian  name.  She  was  now  taken  up  in  a  very 
weak  condition  and  carried  home ;  and  a  priest  came  and 
baptized  her  again,  as  if  she  had  just  come  into  the  world 
or  assumed  a  new  nature. 

Mr.  Pearce  had  soon  afterward  a  less  agreeable  opportu- 
nity of  becoming  acquainted  with  the  characteristics  of 
this  strange  disease.  His  own  wife  was  seized  with  some 
of  the  most  alarming  symptoms  ;  but  having  a  strong  sus- 
picion that  this  ailment  sprang  from  the  weak  minds  of 
women,  who  were  gratified  with  the  display,  the  rich  dresses, 
and  music  which  accompany  the  cure,  he  determined  not 
to  yield  to  her  fancy.  He  thought  the  application  of  a  whip 
might  be  attended  with  a  good  effect,  and  actually  had  re- 
course to  a  few  strokes  when  there  was  no  one  present  to 
witness  the  proceeding.  But  what  was  his  surprise  when, 
instead  of  profiting  by  his  skill,  she  appeared  like  a  corpse, 
her  joints  stiffened,  and  life  seemed  to  become  extinct. 
Alarmed  and  grieved  at  the  want  of  success,  he  immedi- 
ately consented  to  pay  for  the  band,  the  drink,  and  the  other 
apparatus  used  in  similar  cases  ;  and  the  result  proved  a 
complete  reward  for  his  connubial  affection.  "  One  day," 
says  he,  "  I  went  privately  with  a  companion  to  see  my 
wife  dance,  and  kept  at  a  short  distance,  as  I  was  ashamed 
to  go  near  the  crowd.  On  looking  steadfastly  upon  her, 
while  dancing  and  jumping,  more  like  a  deer  than  a  human 
Y2 


258  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 

being,  I  said  that  it  was  certainly  not  ray  wife  ;  at  which 
my  companion  burst  into  a  fit  of  laughter,  from  which  he 
could  scarcely  refrain  all  the  way  home."* 

There  is  little  doubt  that  on  some  occasions  there  was 
fraud  mixed  up  with  Abyssinian  superstition.  Pearce, 
whose  mind  was  possessed  with  all  the  incredulity  of  a 
Protestant,  was  constantly  endeavouring  to  obtain  a  peep 
behind  the  scenes  ;  and,  in  one  instance  at  least,  he  was 
completely  successful.  -  At  an  excavated  church  near  Adowa 
there  is  a  picture  of  the  Virgin  suckling  her  Child,  painted 
probably  in  the  time  of  the  Portuguese,  as  the  workmanship 
differs  materially  from  that  of  the  native  artists.  It  is  placed 
in  a  window,  adjoining  which  is  a  dark  recess  ;  and  the 
priests  told  the  Ras  and  the  chiefs  who  were  with  him,  that 
when  any  sinful  person  looked  at  it  the  figures  trembled 
violently.  As  Pearce  himself  witnessed  the  agitation  of 
the  picture  when  some  individual,  not  remarkable  for  purity, 
happened  to  fix  his  eyes  on  it,  he  looked  about  to  discover 
whether  there  were  any  secret  entrance  by  which  one  might 
get  to  the  back  of  it,  and  soon  observed  a  monk  crawling 
out  of  a  very  small  opening  in  an  obscure  place.  Accord- 
ingly, when  the  attention  of  the  bystanders  was  otherwise 
employed,  the  skeptical  sailor  crept  in,  and  after  turning 
round  a  dark  corner  he  saw  a  priest  behind  the  canvass 
shaking  it  every  now  and  then  with  a  piece  of  string.  He 
did  not  presume  to  interrupt  him,  but  being  satisfied  with 
his  discovery  retired  from  the  scene  of  imposture.  He  did 
not  forget,  however,  to  tell  Welled  Selasse  at  a  convenient 
season,  who  said  he  believed  it  ;  but  added,  "  It  will  not  do 
to  quarrel  with  these  rascals,  for  if  I  were  to  set  them 
against  me  I  should  not  long  be  Ras."t 

At  another  place  there  is  an  exhibition  of  a  miraculous 
nature,  which  bears  some  resemblance  to  the  annual  prodigy 
achieved  at  Naples,  when  the  blood  of  St.  Januarius  be- 
comes liquid  in  the  hands  of  a  holy  man.  It  is,  we  believe, 
on  one  of  the  festivals  of  the  blessed  Virgin  that  the  wonder 
now  alluded  to  is  performed,  known  by  the  designation  of 
the  crying  cross  of  Axum.  On  a  day  appointed,  the  king, 
the  Ras,  and  a  number  of  chiefs  met  at  the  church-gate, 
where  a  large  body  of  priests  were  ready  to  receive  them. 

*  Life  and  Adventures,  vol.  i.  p  291.  I  Ibid.  p.  176. 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  259 

The  latter  were  all  arrayed  in  their  most  splendid  vestments, 
and  about  ten  o'clock,  as  the  sun  was  coming  to  his  strength, 
they  formed  in  a  line  in  front  of  the  sacred  edifice  ;  upon 
which  the  cross  was  brroght  out  and  uncovered.  The 
king  first  ascended  the  steps  and  kissed  it ;  the  Ras  followed 
his  example,  which  again  was  imitated  by  the  noblemen  and 
others  who  were  entitled  to  take  part  in  the  ceremony.  It 
was  the  ratification  of  a  solemn  treaty  between  persons  of 
great  power,  and  intended  to  secure  the  peace  of  an  exten- 
sive province.  The  people  believe  that  the  cross,  when  used 
on  such  momentous  occasions,  ne^ier  fails  to  shed  tears,  or 
or  least  to  exude  a  liquid  matter,  which,  at  a  little  distance, 
appears  very  similar.  Many  individuals,  we  are  assured, 
come  from  remote  districts,  and  pay  large  sums  to  be  al- 
lowed to  kiss  it ;  imagining  that  their  sins  are  thereby 
washed  away.  Indeed  there  is  so  much  anxiety  to  behold 
this  sacred  relic,  that  those  at  a  distance  call  out  to  the 
priests,  "  For  God's  sake  hold  it  higher,  that  our  eyes  may 
see  it  !"  Pearce  had  no  doubt  that  the  crafty  wretches 
anointed  it  with  some  thick  oily  substance,  which,  when 
held  in  the  sun,  melted  and  shone  like  drops  of  water  ;  but 
no  one  being  allowed  to  touch  it  except  a  priest  or  a  monk, 
it  was  impossible  that  the  cheat  could  be  discovered. 

We  learn  also  that  there  was  a  great  dofter,  who  used  to 
travel  about  the  country,  and  had  become  rich  by  deluding 
the  poor  and  ignorant.  He  was  wont  to  attend  the  sick,  and 
was  also  employed  to  purify  places  supposed  to  have  been 
haunted  by  the  devil  or  evil  spirits.  It  was  remarked  of 
him  that  he  always  commenced  his  operations  in  the  heat 
of  the  sun,  when  he  ordered  all  fires  to  be  removed ;  and 
having  taken  his  seat  on  a  sheltered  place  near  the  door,  he 
desired  the  people  to  withdraw  to  a  little  distance  while  he 
prayed.  Taking  advantage  of  this  opportunity,  he  con- 
trived, by  using  the  bottom  of  a  broken  bottle,  to  set  fire  to 
some  dry  horse-dung  with  the  rays  of  the  sun ;  he  then 
threw  on  some  frankincense,  which  caused  a  great  smoke  ; 
and  rising  up  with  his  face  towards  heaven,  he  called  upon 
his  illiterate  audience,  telling  them  in  a  solemn  tone  of  voice 
that  God  had  heard  him,  and  sent  down  fire  from  above  to 
destroy  all  their  enemies  visible  and  invisible.  Pearce  re- 
peated the  experiment  in  the  presence  of  the  Ras,  who  had 
no  difficulty  in  penetrating  the  deception ;  but,  notwith- 


280  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 

standing,  it  was  deemed  imprudent  to  enlighten  the  multi- 
tude and  expose  the  learned  dofter. 

The  few  of  the  Abyssinians  who  can  write  usually  devote 
their  acquirement  to  the  manufacture  of  charms,  by  means 
of  which  they  undertake  to  prevent  hail  from  destroying  the 
corn,  and  the  locusts  from  approaching  the  cultivated  dis- 
tricts, as  well  as  to  cure  all  manner  of  diseases.  Welled 
Selasse,  in  conversations  with  his  English  visiters,  had  fre- 
quently alluded  to  the  influence  of  these  persons,  and  hinted 
how  dangerous  they  were  to  those  who  had  given  them  any 
offence.  Nor  did  he  seem  at  all  displeased  when  he  was 
assured  that  it  was  all  owing  to  the  foolish  superstitions  of 
the  lower  classes  ;  that  they  had  no  more  power  than  other 
men ;  and  that,  instead  of  being  encouraged  or  protected, 
they  ought  to  be  punished  as  impostors.  A  dofter  from 
Gojam  came  one  day  to  ask  the  Ras  to  put  him  at  the  head 
of  the  clergy  in  some  rural  district,  assuring  him  that  he 
could  prevent  the  ravages  of  the  small-pox,  of  the  locusts, 
and  of  the  hail.  Selasse,  smiling,  recommended  him  to 
Pearce  and  Mr.  Coffin,  who  were  sitting  with  him  at  dinner ; 
upon  which  the  applicant  with  much  respect  and  earnestness 
addressed  himself  to  them.  On  their  return  home  he  fol- 
lowed them,  and  they  desired  their  gatekeeper  to  allow  him 
to  enter  the  yard,  that  he  might  be  more  within  the  reach 
of  the  discipline  with  which  they  meant  to  try  his  constancy. 
The  two  gentlemen  soon  issued  from  their  mansion,  each 
with  an  English  cart-whip  in  his  hand,  a  part  of  the  equip- 
ment sent  by  Mr.  Salt  when  he  forwarded  the  artillery,  har- 
ness, and  carriages.  The  dofter  asked  what  might  be  the 
use  of  such  long  weapons  1  "  We  are  going  to  show  you," 
said  Mr.  Coffin  ;  "  and  if  you  can  save  others  from  the  wrath 
of  God,  save  yourself  from  the  whipping  you  are  about  to 
receive."  Upon  this  they  commenced  a  furious  flagella- 
tion, which  they  continued  till  the  pious  enchanter  fell  at 
their  feet,  imploring  their  mercy,  and  declaring  that  he  pos- 
sessed no  supernatural  gifts,  nor  was  in  any  respect  wiser 
than  his  brethren.  After  this  acknowledgment  they  gave 
him  abundance  of  raw  meat  and  maize,  on  which  he  gorged 
himself  without  restraint ;  but,  not  satisfied  with  a  good 
dinner,  he  demanded  money,  and  at  length  became  very 
troublesome  and  abusive.  Mr.  Coffin  was  so  much  pro- 
voked that  he  charged   his  blunderbuss,  and  putting  the 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  261 

blood  of  a  fowl  which  he  had  just  killed  on  the  top  of  the 
powder,  went  to  the  gate  and  discharged  it  at  him.  No 
sooner  did  the  priest  see  his  person  covered  with  gore,  than, 
imagining  himself  to  be  seriously  wounded,  he  ran  to  the 
top  of  a  neighbouring  hill,  where  he  remained  till  the  eve- 
ning ;  and  then  descending  to  the  gate  of  the  palace,  he  de- 
manded justice  against  the  white  men,  who,  he  declared, 
had  shot  him.  Upon  learning  the  particulars  the  Ras  was 
much  amused,  while  the  Gojam  graduate  was  so  greatly  an- 
noyed at  the  jest,  that  he  was  never  again  seen  in  the  same 
part  of  the  country.* 

The  Abyssinians  have  not  yet  passed  that  low  stage  of 
mental  improvement  at  which  the  licenses  of  a  professional 
buffoon  are  tolerated  or  enjoyed.  At  the  court  of  Welled 
Selasse  there  was  a  remarkable  person  of  this  description, 
who  supplied  to  the  chiefs  in  attendance  upon  the  Ras  the 
want  of  a  circus,  an  opera,  and  a  theatre.  Mr.  Salt  assures 
us  that  he  was  one  of  the  cleverest  mimics  he  had  ever  seen, 
the  command  which  he  possessed  over  his  features  almost 
equalling  that  which  was  displayed  in  London  by  Suet,  an 
actor,  to  whom  in  other  respects  he  bore  a  considerable  re- 
semblance. One  of  his  main  acquirements  consisted  in  the 
singular  art  of  making  other  people, — particularly  strangers 
who  had  not  been  apprized  of  his  intention, — imitate  the 
contortions  of  his  features  ;  a  power  which  Mr.  Salt  re- 
peatedly saw  him  exercise  with  success,  and  which,  on  one 
occasion,  drew  himself  into  the  same  kind  of  ridiculous 
situation  without  his  being  conscious  of  the  changes  in  his 
countenance,  till  he  was  roused  by  a  friendly  hint  from  the 
Ras. 

At  the  desire  of  his  master,  he  afterward  performed  some 
finished  pieces  of  acting,  which  evinced  very  extraordinary 
native  talent.  One  of  these  was  the  imitation  of  a  chief  in 
the  field  of  battle,  who  had  not  been  remarkable  for  his 
courage.  At  first  he  came  in  very  pompously  ;  calling  out 
in  an  overbearing  manner  to  his  soldiers,  and  vaunting  what 
he  would  do  when  the  enemy  approached.  He  then  mim- 
icked the  sound  of  horns  heard  from  a  distance,  and  the 
low  beating  of  a  drum.  At  hearing  this  he  represented  his 
hero  as  beginning  to  be  a  little  cautious,  and  to  ask  ques- 

*  Life  and  Adventures,  vol.  i.  p.  332. 


262         MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 

tions  of  those  around  him  whether  they  thought  the  enemy 
strong.  This  alarm  he  continued  to  heighten  in  proportion 
as  the  adverse  party  advanced,  until  at  length  he  depicted 
the  unfortunate  leader  as  nearly  overcome  by  his  fears  ;  the 
musket  trembling  in  his  hand,  his  heart  panting,  and  his 
eyes  completely  fixed,  while,  without  being  sensible  of  the 
movement,  his  legs  began  to  make  a  very  prudent  retreat. 
This  part  of  his  acting  excited  among  the  spectators  the 
share  of  contempt  due  to  the  original  character ;  when, 
dexterously  laying  hold  of  the  circumstance,  he  affected  to 
be  ashamed  of  his  cowardice,  mustered  up  his  whole  stock 
of  courage,  and  advancing-,  firing  his  matchlock  at  the  same 
moment  in  a  direction  exactly  contrary  to  that  in  which  the 
enemy  was  supposed  to  stand,  when,  apparently  frightened 
at  the  noise  of  his  own  gun,  he  sank  down  on  his  knees 
and  begged  for  mercy.  During  this  time  the  expression  of 
his  countenance  was  inimitable  ;  and  at  the  conclusion  the 
whole  of  the  spectators  burst  into  a  shout  of  admiration.* 

Totte  Maze,  for  this  was  the  name  of  the  performer,  had 
one  day  so  much  offended  the  Ras  by  certain  liberties,  that 
he  commanded  him  never  again  to  set  foot  on  his  carpet, 
which  it  may  be  remarked  extends  in  Abyssinia  only  half- 
way down  the  room.  On  the  morrow,  however,  to  the  great 
surprise  of  the  company,  the  jester  made  his  appearance 
mounted  on  the  shoulders  of  one  of  his  attendants,  in  which 
ludicrous  position  he  advanced  close  up  to  his  master,  and 
with  a  very  whimsical  expression  of  features  cried  out, 
"  You  cannot  say  that  I  am  on  your  carpet  now  !"  Welled 
Selasse",  who  like  most  of  his  countrymen  delighted  in 
humour,  could  not  refrain  from  smiling,  which  ensured  the 
forgiveness  of  the  mirth-maker  and  his  return  to  office. 

The  diseases  of  such  a  people  are  so  closely  connected 
with  their  superstitions,  that  the  treatment  of  the  one  always 
indicates  the  character  and  extent  of  the  other.  The  notion 
that  most  of  the  disorders  which  afflict  mankind  are  produced 
by  the  agency  of  evil  spirits,  leads  to  some  very  absurd  prac- 
tices considered  under  the  head  of  remedies  or  palliatives. 
For  instance,  when  Mr.  Pearce  on  one  occasion  returned 
from  a  journey,  he  had  the  misfortune  to  find  that  his  gate- 
keeper and  gardener  had  been  dead  four  days  ;  and  the  neigh- 

*  Salt's  Travels  in  Abyssinia,  p,  372. 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  263 

bours  insisted  that  they  had  been  killed  by  devils,  as  they 
were  both  found  corpses  in  the  morning,  having  gone  to 
bed  in  perfect  health,  and  their  bodies  being  free  from  ex- 
ternal wounds.  The  priests,  who  interposed  their  services 
and  advice,  obliged  him  to  discharge  all  his  firearms  before 
any  one  should  venture  into  the  house,  and  then  to  sprinkle 
the  blood  of  a  newly-killed  sheep  on  the  ground-floor.  A 
jar  or  two  of  maize  were  likewise  to  be  expended  on  the  oc- 
casion, which,  with  the  flesh  of  the  victim,  were  meant  to 
console  the  survivors,  as  well  as  to  render  effectual  all  the 
other  means  that  were  employed  against  their  invisible 
enemies. 

In  all  parts  of  Abyssinia  it  is  customary,  when  a  building 
has  been  left  uninhabited  for  some  time,  to  kill  a  cow  or  a 
sheep,  and  distribute  the  carcass  within  the  walls ;  an 
offering  which  it  is  presumed  satisfies  the  ghost  of  the 
place,  who  immediately  leaves  it  in  peace.  But  when  such 
houses  are  abandoned  or  neglected,  the  offended  demon 
haunts  the  mouldering  remains,  and  kills  those  whom  it 
finds  taking  up  even  a  temporary  residence  among  them, 
without  appeasing  its  wrath  by  the  customary  oblations. 

To  the  same  prejudice  in  regard  to  the  influence  of  evil 
spirits  in  creating  distempers,  especially  such  as  affect  the 
nervous  system,  may  be  ascribed  the  practice,  already  men- 
tioned, of  beating  drums,  sounding  trumpets,  and  in  short 
of  using  the  most  noisy  instruments,  in  order  to  dislodge 
the  malignant  agent  whose  delight  it  is  to  occasion  torture 
and  alarm.  When  a  man  is  seized  with  the  species  of  fever 
called  tigre-ler,  which  leads  to  such  fooleries  among  the 
women,  his  relations  show  him  all  the  gold  and  silver  orna- 
ments they  can  collect,  making  at  the  same  time  a  deafening 
noise  with  drums,  to  drive  the  devil  out ;  "  For,"  says  the 
historian,  "  they  believe  that  all  diseases  come  from  the 
devil."* 

The  common  distempers,  with  the  exception  of  the  small- 
pox and  measles,  are  not  usually  dangerous.  Fevers,  too, 
are  very  rare,  except  in  the  low  country  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  rains  ;  which,  occasioning  an  unhealthy  vapour, 
give  rise  to  the  opinion  that  this  class  of  ailments  are  pro- 
duced by  the  blow  of  a  bad  spirit.     The  only  remedy  em- 

*  Pearce,  vol.i.  p.  282. 


264  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 

ployed  is  the  juice  of  some  cooling  leaves  rubbed  over  the 
temples  of  the  patient.  They  also  fasten  different- roots  and 
herbs  about  the  head  and  body,  as  well  as  a  variety  of  written 
charms  ;  which  last,  however,  are  not  employed  for  the  cure 
of  this  disorder  in  particular,  but  worn  by  every  person  in 
sickness  and  in  health.  Colds  and  sore  eyes  are  general, 
and  are  usually  caught  through  personal  neglect ;  for  the 
Abyssinians  sleep  much  in  the  sun  by  day,  and  expose  their 
persons  to  the  heavy  dews  of  night  with  scarcely  a  rag  to 
cover  them.  The  leprosy  prevails  greatly  among  the  lower 
class,  especially  in  the  southern  provinces,  where  thousands 
may  be  seen  who  have  lost  their  fingers  and  toes,  and  have 
their  bodies  covered  all  over  with  large  white  spots. 

But  the  small-pox,  as  has  just  been  intimated,  is  the  most 
destructive  complaint  known  in  Abyssinia.  As  soon  as  its 
approach  towards  any  district  is  ascertained,  the  inhabitants 
collect  their  children  and  others  who  have  not  had  the 
disease,  for  the  purpose  of  inoculation.  Every  one  carries 
a  piece  of  salt  or  a  measure  of  corn,  with  which  they  pro- 
ceed together  to  the  nearest  town  in  search  of  an  operator. 
Having  selected  a  person  covered  with  healthy  tubercles, 
they  procure  a  dofter  well  skilled  in  his  art,  who  takes  a 
quantity  of  matter  from  him  into  an  egg-shell,  and  then  cut- 
ting a  small  cross  with  a  razor  in  the  arm  of  his  patients, 
he  introduces  a  little  of  the  virus,  and  finishes  by  binding  it 
with  a  piece  of  rag.  After  this  process  they  all  return  home, 
singing  and  shouting  praises  to  God  in  a  joyful  manner, 
and  beseeching  him  to  preserve  them  from  death  during  the 
approaching  disease.  So  far  all  is  very  well,  but  the  sub- 
sequent treatment  is  most  injudicious.  From  the  moment 
the  fever  begins  they  are  put  into  a  close  hut,  where  not  a 
breath  of  air,  and  if  possible  not  a  beam  of  light,  can  enter. 
Here  they  are  laid  naked  upon  river-sand  or  wood-ashes, 
the  latter  being  generally  preferred  when  the  eruption  is 
copious.  No  male  animal,  dog,  cat,  or  cock,  is  allowed  to 
remain  near  the  house  ;  there  being  certain  superstitions 
which  connect  the  presence  of  that  sex  with  the  anger  of 
wicked  spirits  who  seek  the  life  of  the  sufferers. 

In  all  the  Galla  districts,  except  those  converted  to  the 
Mohammedan  or  Christian  religion,  the  inhabitants  on  the 
appearance  of  the  small-pox  burn  their  villages  and  retire 
to  a  distance.     As  the  diseased  are  consumed  along  with 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  265 

the  houses  in  which  they  dwell,  fathers,  mothers,  and  the 
nearest  relations,  if  unable  to  remove,  fall  indiscriminately 
a  sacrifice  to  this  barbarous  practice.  Horrid  as  it  may 
appear,  the  natives  esteem  it  a  prudent,  as  well  as  a  humane 
method  of  stopping  the  progress  of  a  frightful  malady,  and 
reproach  the  Christians  for  not  following  their  example, 
and,  by  devoting  a  few,  preserve  the  lives  of  the  community. 
A  species  of  scrofula,  which  they  call  mcshero,  is  of  fre- 
quent occurrence  in  Ethiopia.  The  more  common  remedies 
are  attempted  through  the  medium  of  purgatives  and  sudo- 
rifics,  although  some  practitioners  have  recourse  to  the 
hazardous  method  of  excision.  With  a  razor  they  make 
two  deep  cuts  in  the  shape  of  a  cross  on  the  swelling,  and 
then  putting  in  the  little  finger,  they  bring  to  the  surface  a 
kernel  about  the  size  of  a  common  nut.  Having  disengaged 
this  from  the  flesh  with  the  sharp  instrument,  they  bind  up 
the  wound  with  some  pounded  herbs  prepared  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  boast  of  a  permanent  cure. 

No  disease  is  more  painful  and  disgusting,  both  to  natives 
and  foreigners,  than  the  tape-worm,  which  appears  to  be 
universal  throughout  Abyssinia.  It  was  at  one  time  at- 
tributed by  Europeans  to  the  practice  so  common  Ln  that 
country,  of  eating  raw  flesh ;  but  as  Pearce  and  Coffin, 
who  did  not  in  this  respect  comply  with  the  custom  of  the 
inhabitants,  were  afflicted  with  it  to  a  great  extent,  it  is 
more  probable  that  it  arises  from  the  climate  and  the  quali- 
ties of  the  water.  There  is  a  plant  called  cusho,  which 
proves  a  certain  cure  for  this  dreadful  disorder ;  and  the 
application  of  it  every  two  months  is  so  absolutely  necessary 
to  the  enjoyment  of  the  most  ordinary  health,  that  without 
this  active  medicine  the  principle  of  population  would  be 
materially  impaired. 

In  regard  to  the  mode  of  conducting  the  burial  of  the  dead, 
some  particulars  fell  under  the  notice  of  Pearce  on  the  loss 
of  his  son,  which  are  too  interesting  to  be  omitted.  The 
funeral  follows  the  demise  of  the  sick  person  without  any 
delay.  The  moment  the  breath  departs,  the  cries  and 
shouts,  which  have  been  kept  up  for  hours  before,  are  re- 
commenced with  fury ;  the  priests  read  prayers  of  forgive- 
ness while  the  body  is  washed,  the  hands  fastened  across 
the  Lower  part  of  the  trunk,  and  the  two  great  toes  tied 
together.  The  corpse  is  then  wrapped  in  a  clean  cloth  and 
22 


266         MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 

sewed  up  ;  after  which  the  skin  called  neet,  the  only  bed 
that  an  Abyssinian  has  to  lie  upon,  is  bound  over  all,  and 
the  procession  forthwith  commences  towards  the  church. 
According  to  the  distance  the  whole  route  is  divided  into 
seven  equal  parts,  at  every  one  of  which  the  bier  is  laid 
down  and  prayers  for  the  welfare  of  the  deceased  are  ad- 
dressed to  heaven.  Every  neighbour  assists  in  digging  the 
grave,  and  they  all  carry  implements  for  the  purpose,  trying 
to  outwork  one  another. 

It  is  customary,  too,  on  sUch  occasions  to  bring  gifts  to 
the  relatives  of  the  departed,  or  what  are  called  dcvves  in 
the  language  of  the  country.  Pearce  relates  that  in  his 
case  before  the  cry  was  over,  the  people  stood  in  crowds 
about  his  house,  striving  who  should  get  in  first,  till  the 
door  was  completely  blockaded.  Some  brought  twenty  or 
thirty  cakes  of  bread,  some  a  jar  of  maize,  some  cooked 
victuals,  fowls,  and  even  sheep  ;  and  in  this  manner  his 
dwelling  was  so  fully  stuffed  that  he  was  obliged  to  remove 
into  the  yard.  The  head  priest  came  with  a  jar  of  maize 
and  a  cow.  But  whatever  is  collected  in  this  way  is  under- 
stood to  be  common  property,  and  every  individual  who 
contributes  expects  to  be  invited  to  the  feast.  Then  "  they 
talk  and  tell  stories  to  divert  your  thoughts  from  the  sor- 
rowful subject ;  they  force  you  to  drink  a  great  deal :  but 
I  have  remarked  that  at  these  cries,  when  the  relations  be- 
came a  little  tranquil  in  their  minds,  some  old  woman  will 
make  a  sudden  dismal  cry,  saying,  '  Oh  !  what  a  fine  child  ; 
and  is  he  already  forgotten  V  This  puts  the  company  into 
confusion,  and  all  join  in  the  cry,  which  will  perhaps  last 
half  an  hour  ;  during  which  the  servants  and  common  people 
drink  out  all  the  maize,  and,  when  well  drunk,  form  them- 
selves into  a  gang  at  the  door  and  begin  their  cry."* 

There  are  numbers  of  men  and  women  who  get  a  living 
by  making  rhymes  and  attending  at  cries.  They  are  often 
called  to  a  great  distance  to  grace  the  funerals  of  persons 
of  distinction  ;  and  if  they  are  also  celebrated  as  poets  they 
receive  a  high  pay  in  corn,  cattle,  or  cloth.  Mr.  Pearce 
knew  a  very  handsome  middle-aged  female  who,  though  she 

*  Suck  practices  appear  to  have  introduced  themselves  among  the' 
Hebrews  in  their  latter  days;  for  the  Gospel  mentions  at  the  deatti  of 
the  ruler's  daughter,  "  the  minstrels  and  the  people  making  a  noise."—' 
Man.  ix.  23. 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  267 

had  a  large  estate,  had  studied  poetry  from  her  youth,  and 
attended  gratuitously  at  all  cries  of  a  public  nature,  for  no 
other  purpose  than  to  display  her  benevolence  and  her  un- 
common powers.  She  was  esteemed  the  best  maker  of 
verses  either  in  Amhara  or  Tigre.  Many  great  men  had 
offered  to  marry  her,  but  she  could  never  be  prevailed  on  to 
listen  to  their  proposals  ;  not  that  she  had  any  predilection 
for  a  single  life, — a  very  rare  choice  indeed  among  the  sex 
in  Ethiopia. 

In  courts  of  law,  whether  held  by  the  governor  of  a 
province  or  by  a  subordinate  magistrate,  the  plaintiff  and 
the  defendant  stand  up  with  their  dress  tied  round  their 
middle,  leaving  the  upper  part  of  the  body  naked  ;  a  custom 
which  is  observed  even  in  the  severest  weather.  The 
tuvverkas,  or  lawyers,  stand  on  either  side  of  them  pleading 
in  a  loud  tone  of  voice  their  several  causes  ;  during  which 
process  wagers  of  mules,  cows,  sheep,  and  gold,  are  con- 
tinually laid  by  these  orators  that  they  will  prove  such  and 
such  charges  contained  in  the  libel ;  and  in  all  cases  the 
forfeit  becomes  the  perquisite  of  the  presiding  judge.  They 
also  bind  themselves  in  a  similar  way  not  to  speak  until 
their  antagonist  shall  have  finished  his  address  ;  but,  as 
often  happens,  the  falsehoods  related  by  the  one  incense  the 
other  to  such  a  degree  that,  although  he  holds  his  mouth 
with  his  hand,  he  forgets  himself,  and  exclaims,  "A  lie!" 
He  is  instantly  addressed  by  the  governor's  servant,  whose 
office  it  is  to  watch  for  such  slips,  and  is  obliged  either  to 
give  bond  for  the  payment  of  his  bet  or  to  submit  to  personal 
restraint. 

In  cases  of  murder  the  law  in  Abyssinia  is  administered 
as  follows  :  after  the  fact  has  been  proved  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  chief,  he  passes  sentence  of  death,  when  the  nearest 
relation  to  the  person  slain  proceeds  to  put  it  in  execution. 
Should  the  deceased  party  have  no  other  relative  but  a  female, 
though  she  may  have  a  husband,  friend,  or  other  connexions, 
yet  she  being  next  of  kin  must,  either  with  a  spear  or  knife, 
strike  the  first  blow,  upon  which  her  acquaintances  despatch 
him  immediately.  Unless  this  ceremony  were  observed, 
the  family  of  the  criminal  would  have  reason  to  complain 
that  his  blood  had  been  shed  unjustly.  The  principal 
prosecutor  is  in  all  cases  bound  to  execute  the  sentence  ; 
his  hand  must  be  the  first  raised  against  the  offender  to  put 


268  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 

him  to  death,  even  should  he  happen  to  be  his  own  brother, 
the  son  of  his  mother.* 

Though  a  capital  sentence  is  pronounced  against  a  homi- 
cide, the  family  of  the  defunct  may,  if  they  see  proper,  take 
cattle  in  place  of  the  murderer's  life  ;  one  hundred  of  these 
animals  being  the  customary  price  of  redemption.  But  when 
the  assassin  is  put  ,to  death,  the  relations  are  permitted  to 
bury  him  in  the  church,  a  privilege  formally  granted  by  the 
laws  ;  though  in  case  of  self-destruction,  no  one  can  be  in- 
terred even  within  the  walls  of  the  churchyard.  We  may 
remark,  in  conclusion,  that  the  Ras,  or  other  provincial 
chief,  has  the  power  of  compelling  the  aggrieved  party,  even 
in  the  case  of  murder,  to  accept  the  wonted  equivalent  for 
the  life  which  has  been  taken  away. 

Agriculture,  as  might  be  expected  in  a  state  of  society 
where  there  are  so  few  rewards  for  industry,  is  still  in  a  very 
rude  condition ;  the  occupiers  of  land  trusting  much  more 
to  the  natural  fertility  of  the  soil  than  to  any  system  of 
management.  The  ploughs  are  so  extremely  inartificial 
that  they  sometimes  consist  of  nothing  more  than  the  crooked 
branch  of  a  tree,  pointed  with  a  small  piece  of  iron.  Two 
varieties  of  wheat  are  cultivated,  of  which  bread  is  made  for 
the  tables  of  the  great.  Teff,  which  is  the  more  usual  food, 
graduates  in  its  colour  from  white  to  black.  The  same 
remark  applies  to  barley,  of  which  also  two  kinds  are  raised. 
They  first  sow  this  grain  about  the  end  of  April  or  beginning 
of  May  ;  that  is,  a  little  before  the  commencement  of  the' 
rains.  It  comes  to  maturity  in  June,  and  is  immediately 
carried  off  the  fields,  that  it  may  not  be  destroyed  by  the 
excessive  moisture.  Then  they  sow  vetches,  which  likewise 
ripen  during  the  rainy  season.  In  September  they  sow 
wheat  or  teff,  either  of  which  is  ready  to  be  cut  down  in 
December  ;  and  if  they  have  water  they  repeat  barley  or 
tares  in  January.  In  Wogara,  where  there  are  constant 
means  of  irrigation,  seedtime  and  harvest  follow  each  other 
every  month  of  the  year.  The  rent  paid  to  the  king  is  one- 
tenth  of  the  crop  ;  but  as  the  produce  is  small  the  peasants 
never  become  affluent.  Their  five  harvests  combined  are 
not  equal  to  one  in  Egypt,  while  the  labour  is  still  greater 
even  in  proportion. t 

At  the  beginning  of  the  rains,  the  fields  at  a  distance  from 

*  See  Deuteronomy,  xiii.  v.  6-9.  |  Bruce,  vol.  vii.  p.  63. 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  269 

the  villages  are  very  much  Injured  by  hogs  and  monkeys, 
which  last  sometimes  drive  the  keepers  from  the  grounds. 
The  soil  is  much  overrun  with  weeds,  which,  if  not  plucked 
up  before  the  ear  is  formed,  are  exceedingly  destructive. 
The  Abyssinians  usually  assist  one  another  in  this  important 
labour,  which  is  done  with  a  due  regard  to  ceremony.  A 
chief,  for  example,  musters  every  soldier  in  his  service,  and 
marches  at  their  head  to  a  corn-field,  where  they  lay  down 
their  arms,  fall  into  line,  join  in  a  song  suitable  to  the  oc- 
casion, and,  placing  themselves  under  the  command  of  a 
female,  advance  in  regular  order  along  the  ridges.  When 
the  work  is  done,  the  military  labourers  receive  an  enter- 
tainment from  their  leader,  consisting  generally  of  the  blood- 
warm  steaks  of  a  cow,  and  a  hornful  of  maize.* 

In  their  cooking,  with  some  slight  exceptions,  the  people 
of  Abyssinia  are  entitled  to  the  praise  of  cleanliness.  Fowls, 
after  being  cut  into  pieces,  are  washed  in  a  dozen  waters  at 
least,  and  the  same  is  practised  in  regard  to  fish.  Both  dishes 
are  prepared  with  curry,  a  mixture  of  hot  pepper,  onions, 
and  salt,  with  the  addition  of  some  butter  and  spices,  which 
altogether  form  a  compound  too  hot  for  most  European 
throats  to  swallow.  Partridges,  guinea-fowl,  and  other  game 
are  always  dressed  in  the  manner  now  described,  while  the 
Sesh  of  the  sheep  and  goat  is  only  a  little  broiled.  A  fa- 
vourite dish  is  the  paunch  and  liver  of  these  quadrupeds 
minced,  to  which  are  added  a  little  of  the  substance  from 
the  entrails  that  has  not  been  digested,  and  a  few  drops  from 
the  gall,  mixed  all  together  with  a  second  compound  of  red 
pepper  and  salt,  called  horzy.  Another  sauce  consists  of  the 
thin  substance  from  a  cow's  entrails,  boiled  with  mustard, 
and  the  mixture  termed  horzy  and  butter,  which  they  gen- 
erally eat  with  the  raw  beef.  A  third  dish,  which  is  seldom 
seen  except  at  the  tables  of  the  higher  ranks,  is  made  from 
a  part  of  the  cow  called  chickkiner.  This  portion  of  the 
animal,  which  is  thought  very  tender,  is  cut  down  raw  into 
small  mince-meat,  then  mixed  with  black  pepper,  and  a  great 
quantity  of  the  oil  that  runs  from  the  joints  of  the  knees 
and  other  limbs  during  the  process  of  dissection.  Pearce 
observes  that  the  man  may  consider  himself  a  great  favourite 
who  gets  his  mouth  crammed  full  of  this  rare  dainty ! 

*  Pearce,  vol.  i.  p.  345. 
Z2 


270         MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 

Every  one  knows,  that  it  is  the  custom  in  Abyssinia  for 
those  who  entertain  friends  at  a  meal  to  feed  them  by  ac- 
tually stuffing  the  meat  into  their  mouths.  When  a  man 
invites  a  neighbour  to  dine  with  him,  it  is  thought  ex* 
tremely  uncivil  if  the  lady  does  not  cram  the  guest  with  her 
own  hands  ;  and  the  more  voraciously  the  visiter  eats,  the 
more  is  his  good-breeding  esteemed.  In  fact,  the  picture 
exhibited  by  Bruce,  of  the  grossness  and  sensuality  of  even 
the  highest  class  in  this  respect,  was  one  of  the  main  causes 
of  the  incredulity  with  which  his  work  was  received  in 
Europe  ;  and  as  this  is  a  subject  which  is  not  yet  divested 
of  all  importance,  we  may  be  excused  for  entering  into  a  few 
details,  relative  to  the  several  statements  now  before  the 
public. 

The  traveller  relates,  that  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Axum 
he  overtook  three  persons,  apparently  soldiers,  who  were 
driving  a  cow  before  them.  When  arrived  at  a  certain  point 
they  threw  the  animal  down  ;  and  one  of  them  sat  across 
her  neck,  holding  down  her  head  by  the  horns,  While  another 
who  had  a  knife  in  his  hand  made  a  very  deep  wound  on  the 
upper  part  of  her  body.  Upon  Bruce  proposing  to  his 
servants  to  bargain  for  part  of  the  carcass,  he  learned  that 
it  was  not  the  intention  of  the  men  to  kill  the  beast  ;  that 
in  fact  she  did  not  belong  wholly  to  them,  and  that  they 
could  not  sell  her.  "This,"  says  he,  "awakened  my  curi- 
osity ;  I  let  my  people  go  forward,  and  staid  myself,  till  I 
saw  with  the  utmost  astonishment  two  pieces,  thicker  and 
longer  than  our  ordinary  beef-steaks,  cut  out  of  the  higher 
part  of  the  buttock.  How  it  was  done  I  cannot  positively 
say  ;  because,  judging  the  cow  was  to  be  killed,  from  the 
moment  I  saw  the  knife  drawn,  I  was  not  anxious  to  view 
that  catastrophe,  which  was  by  no  means  an  object  of  curi- 
osity ;  but  whatever  way  it  was  done,  it  surely  was  adroitly, 
and  the  two  pieces  were  spread  on  the  outside  of  one  of  their 
shields.  One  of  them  still  continued  to  hold  the  head  while 
the  two  others  were  busied  in  curing  the  wound.  This,  too, 
was  done  not  in  an  ordinary  manner  :  the  skin  that  had 
covered  the  flesh  was  left  entire,  and  flapped  over  the  wound, 
and  was  fastened  to  the  corresponding  part  by  two  or  more 
small  skewers  or  pins.  Whether  they  had  put  any  thing 
under  the  skin  between  that  and  the  wounded  flesh  I  know 
not ;  but  at  the  river-side  where  they  were,  they  had  pre- 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  271 

pared  a  cataplasm  of  clay,  with  which  they  covered  the 
wound.  They  then  forced  the  animal  to  rise,  and  drove  it 
on  before  them,  to  furnish  them  with  a  fuller  meal  when 
they  should  meet  their  companions  in  the  evening." 

It  is  observed  by  the  latest  biographer  of  Bruce,  that  it 
was  upon  the  recital  of  this  fact  that  his  :'  reputation  split, 
and  sunk  -like  a  vessel  which  had  suddenly  struck  upon  a 
rock."  He  was  attacked  on  all  hands  with  satire,  ridicule, 
and  even  with  grave  argument ;  and  because  he  would 
neither  suppress  nor  modify  the  description,  he  was  de- 
nounced to  the  world  as  a  fabulist,  or  a  dreamer  of  dreams. 
Even  so  late  as  1805,  when  Lord  Valentia  touched  on  the 
coast,  Mr.  Salt  was  pleased  to  state  that  he  repeatedly  in- 
quired as  to  the  truth  of  cutting  flesh  out  of  live  animals, 
and  "  all  to  whom  we  spoke  denied  its  ever  being  done." 
But  Pearce  and  Coffin,  who  remained  in  Abyssinia,  and  be- 
came intimately  acquainted  with  the  manners  of  the  people, 
afterward  fully  confirmed  in  the  most  literal  acceptation  of 
his  words  the  whole  narrative  of  Bruce  on  this  disputed 
point.  The  former,  in  the  journal  published  by  Salt  himself, 
relates  that,  when  on  a  march,  a  soldier  attached  to  the  party 
proposed  to  cut  out  the  shulada  from  one  of  the  cows  they 
were  driving,  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  their  hunger.  This 
term  Mr.  Pearce  did  not  at  first  understand,  but  he  was  not 
long  left  in  doubt  upon  the  subject. ;  for  the  others  having 
assented,  they  laid  hold  of  the  animal  by  the  horns,  threw  it 
down,  and  proceeded  without  further  ceremony  to  the  op- 
eration. This  consisted  in  cutting  out  two  pieces  of  flesh 
from  the  buttock  near  the  tail,  which  together  he  supposed 
might  weigh  about  a  pound.  As  soon  as  they  had  taken 
these  away,  they  sewed  up  the  wounds,  plastered  them  over 
with  cow-dung,  and  drove  the  animal  forward,  while  they 
divided  among  their  party  the  still  reeking  steaks.  Mr. 
Coffin  also  declared  to  Major  Head,  that  he  had  not  only 
seen  the  excision  performed,  but  that  he  himself  has  repeated 
it,  and  that  he  did  so  at  Cairo  in  presence  of  an  English 
nobleman  of  high  character,  to  whose  name  he  publicly 
referred.* 

A  similar  degree  of  skepticism  has  been  entertained  in 

*  Bruce,  vol.  iv.  p.  332 ;  Salt's  Travels,  p,  295 ;  Head's  Life  of  Bruce 
p.  253. 


272         MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 

regard  to  the  mode  of  supplying  brindc,  or  raw  meat,  to  the 
guests  in  the  fashionable  parties  at  Gondar,  the  capital  of 
Abyssinia.  When  the  company  have  taken  their  seats  at 
table,  a  cow  or  bull  is  brought  to  the  door,  and  its  feet 
strongly  tied ;  after  which  the  cooks  proceed  to  select  the 
most  delicate  morsels,  nearly  in  the  manner  described  by  the 
travellers.  Before  killing  the  animal,  all  the  flesh  on  the 
buttocks  is  cut  off  in  solid  square  pieces,  without  bones  or 
much  effusion  of  blood.  Two  or  three  servants  are  then 
employed,  who,  as  fast  as  they  can  procure  the  brinde,  lay  it 
upon  cakes  of  teff  placed  like  dishes  down  the  table,  without 
cloth  or  any  thing  else  beneath  them.  By  this  time  all  the 
guests  have  knives  in  their  hands,  and  the  men  prefer  the 
large  crooked  ones,  which  in  the  time  of  war  they  put  to  all 
sorts  of  uses.  The  company  are  so  ranged  that  one  gen- 
tleman sits  between  two  ladies  ;  and  the  former  with  his 
long  knife  begins  by  cutting  a  thin  piece,  which  would  be 
thought  a  good  steak  in  England,  while  the  motion  of  the 
fibres  is  yet  perfectly  distinct. 

In  Abyssinia  no  man  of  any  fashion  feeds  himself  or 
touches  his  own  meat.  The  women  take  the  flesh  and  cut 
it  lengthwise  like  strings,  about  the  thickness  of  one's  little 
finger,  then  crosswise  into  square  pieces  somewhat  smaller 
than  dice.  This  they  lay  upon  a  portion  of  the  teff  bread, 
strongly  powdered  with  black  pepper,  or  cayenne,  and  fossil 
salt,  and  then  wrap  it  up  like  a  cartridge.  In  the  mean  time 
the  gentleman,  having  put  up  his  knife,  with  each  hand 
resting  upon  his  neighbour's  knee,  his  body  stooping,  his 
head  low  and  forward,  and  mouth  open,  very  like  an  idiot, 
turns  to  the  one  whose  cartridge  is  first  ready,  who  stuffs  the 
whole  of  it  between  his  jaws,  at  the  imminent  risk  of  choking 
him.  This  is  a  mark  of  grandeur.  The  greater  the  man 
would  seem  to  be,  the  larger  is  the  piece  which  he  takes  into 
his  mouth ;  and  the  more  noise  he  makes  in  chewing  it,  the 
more  polite  does  he  prove  himself.  None  but  beggars  and 
thieves,  say  they,  eat  small  pieces  and  in  silence.  Having 
despatched  this  morsel,  which  he  does  very  expeditiously, 
his  neighbour  on  the  other  hand  holds  forth  a  second  pellet, 
which  he  devours  in  the  same  way,  and  so  on  till  he  is  sat- 
isfied. He  never  drinks  till  he  has  finished  eating  ;  and 
before  he  begins,  in  gratitude  to  the  fair  ones  who  have  fed 
him,  he  makes  up  two  small  rolls  of  the  same  kind  and  form. 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  273 

Each  of  the  ladies  opens  her  mouth  at  once,  while  with  his 
own  hand  he  supplies  a  portion  to  both  at  the  same  moment. 
Then  commence  the  potations,  which,  we  are  assured,  are 
not  regulated  with  much  regard  to  sobriety  or  decorum. 

All  this  time  the  unfortunate  victim  at  the  door  is  bleeding, 
but  bleeding  little  ;  for  so  skilful  are  the  butchers,  that  while 
they  strip  the  bones  of  the  flesh,  they  avoid  the  parts  which 
are  traversed  by  the  great  arteries.  At  last  they  fall  upon 
the  thighs  likewise  ;  and  soon  after  the  animal,  perishing 
from  loss  of  blood,  becomes  so  tough  that  the  unfeeling 
wretches  who  feed  on  the  remainder  can  scarcely  separate 
the  muscles  with  their  teeth.* 

In  the  description  now  given,  we  have  purposely  omitted 
some  features  which,  it  is  not  improbable,  have  been  a  little 
too  highly  coloured,  if  not  even  somewhat  inaccurately 
drawn.  But  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  the  general  cor- 
rectness of  the  delineation,  not  excepting  the  grossest  and 
most  repulsive  particulars.  It  is  true  that  the  statement  has 
been  called  in  question  by  Abyssinian  travellers,  especially 
by  Mr.  Salt,  who  seems  to  have  derived  peculiar  gratification 
from  exposing  the  slips  of  his  predecessor  ;  but  it  is  no  less 
true  that  the  cutting  of  the  shulada  was  denied  on  a  similar 
authority,  and  yet  no  fact  has  been  more  fully  established 
by  the  most  unimpeachable  evidence. 

Besides,  neither  Salt  nor  Pearce  ever  penetrated  to  Gon- 
dar,  the  metropolis  of  the  empire,  and  the  scene  of  its 
greatest  luxury,  sensuality,  and  pleasure.  The  latter  of 
these  gentlemen,  too,  in  describing  the  marriage  feast  of  the 
more  respectable  class  of  people,  informs  us  that  cattle  are 
brought  to  the  door  to  be  slaughtered,  and  that  the  raw  meat 
is  handed  about  while  it  still  reeks  and  shivers  under  the 
large  two-edged  knife  with  which  every  man  is  furnished. 
Nor  does  he  conceal  that,  at  a  certain  stage  of  the  enter- 
tainment, it  is  customary  for  all  the  party  to  become  quite 
intoxicated  ;  a  concession  which  might  perhaps  be  regarded 
as  implying  all  that  Mr.  Bruce  has  alleged  against  the 
morals  of  the  Abyssinians.  Mr.  Salt  himself  confirms  the 
account  given  of  the  irregular  conduct  of  the  ladies,  but  not 
those  open  indecencies  described  by  the  older  traveller.  It 
deserves  notice,  however,  that  Ras  Welled  Selasse  enter- 

*  Bruce,  iv.  486. 


274  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 

tained  views  on  this  subject  quite  uncommon  in  his  country, 
and  exacted  a  degree  of  outward  decorum  to  which  the  court 
had  never  before  been  accustomed.  Bruce,  on  the  contrary, 
saw  it  in  a  state  of  peculiar  license  ;  .so  that  an  actual  varia- 
tion in  the  manners  at  these  different  periods  is  extremely 
probable.* 

The  nobility  and  all  those  of  a  certain  rank,  it  is  admitted, 
live  in  a  state  of  great  licentiousness  and  debauchery  even 
when  married.  They  are  seldom  jealous  of  each  other, 
says  Pearce,  at  least  never  show  their  suspicions,  knowing 
well  each  other's  character.  Eut  notwithstanding  the  free- 
dom of  their  conduct  they  strictly  keep  all  the  fasts,  which 
are  very  numerous  ;  and  on  those  occasions  they  never  eat 
or  drink  till  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  contriving 
to  calculate  the  hour  by  measuring  the  shadow  of  their 
bodies  on  the  ground.  The  days  of  abstinence  amount  to 
no  fewer  than  a  hundred  and  sixty-five  in  the  year.  It  is 
to  be  lamented  that  the  clergy  fail  to  check  by  their  example 
the  immoral  practices  of  the  people ;  being  themselves 
"  more  like  drunken  beasts  than  civilized  beings,"  while  the 
quantity  of  raw  meat  they  consume,  and  "  the  ravenous 
manner  in  which  they  devour  it,  exceed  all  belief."  Pearce, 
however,  knew  one  at  Chelicut  who  always  conducted  him- 
self like  a  true  -father  of  the  faith,  and  strove  earnestly  to 
bring  all  classes  to  a  right  sense  of  their  duty.  He  even 
delivered  a  discourse  in  the  church  against  the  abomination 
and  disgrace  of  eating  raw  meat ;  but  before  he  could  finish 
his  address  he  was  interrupted  by  the  clerical  portion  of  his 
hearers,  who  threatened  him  with  deposition  should  he  per- 
severe in  his  heretical  notions.  The  pious  reformer  forth- 
with relinquished  his  situation  ;  but  the  Ras,  hearing  of  the 
occurrence,  entreated  him  to  resume  his  office,  and  permit 
the  people  to  do  as  their  fathers  had  done  before  them. 

We  are  unwilling  to  conclude  this  chapter  without  adding 
an  extract  from  "  Purchas  his  Pilgrimes"  on  the  condition 
of  the  Abyssinians  nearly  three  hundred  years  ago.  "  An- 
tonius  Fernandez,"  says  he,  "  thus  writeth  of  their  apparel. 
The  richer  sort  buy  garments  of  the  Saracens,  and  clothe 
themselves   in   their   fashions.     The  rest,  both    men  and 

*  See  Leyden's  Discoveries  and  Travels  in  Africa,  by  Hugh  Murray, 
Esq.  vol.  ii.  p.  92. 


OF    ETHIOPIA.  275 

women,  cover  their  bodies  either  with  a  skinne  or  pelt,  or 
with  a  coarse  hempen  cloth  without  other  arte  than  the 
weaver's.  When  they  doe  reverence  to  any,  they  put  off 
this  cloth  from  the  shoulders  to  the  middle,  remayning  half- 
naked.  They  let  their  haire  grow,  and  that  serves  them  for 
a  hat  and  head-tyre.  For  finer  braverie  they  curie  and 
anoint  their  haire  with  butter,  which  shewes  in  the  sun 
like  grasse  in  the  morning  dew.  Lest  their  locks  and 
curies  should  be  disordered  when  they  goe  to  bed,  each  one 
pitcheth  a  forke  or  crutch  a  foot  high  in  the  ground,  betwixt 
the  homes  whereof  hee  reposeth  his  necke,  and  sleepeth 
with  his  head  hanging.  They  use  to  brande  markes  on 
their  bodies,  especially  in  the  face.  And  on  the  little  fingers 
they  suffer  the  nailes  to  grow  as  long  as  they  will,  like 
cocke's  spurres,  which  also  they  sometimes  cut  from  cockes 
and  fit  to  their  fingers.  They  colour  their  hands  and  feet 
(which  are  bare)  with  the  juice  of  a  reddish  barke.  They 
usually  are  artlesse  and  lazie,  neglecting  hunting  and  fish- 
ing ;  and  whereas  wooll,  hempe,  and  cotton,  might  easily 
be  had,  yet  the  vulgar  are  clothed  with  undressed  pelts, 
each  wearing  a  ramme's  skinne  tyed  to  his  hands  and  feet. 
They  lie  on  oxe-hides  without  quilts  or  mattresses ;  for 
tables  they  use  great  bowles  of  wood  rudely  hollowed,  with- 
out any  naperie.  Vessels  they  have  of  blacke  chalke.  Few 
but  Saracens  use  merchandise,  and  in  few  places  ;  most  ex- 
ercise husbandrie  ;  the  gentry  follow  armes  and  the  court. 
They  have  no  great  cities,  but  villages  unwalled  and  unfor- 
tified. Their  greatest  towne  hath  scarcely  one  thousand  six 
hundred  houses.  Their  houses  are  small,  without  elegance, 
without  storie,  almost  without  arte,  rounde,  and  covered  with 
earth  and  straw.  They  write  no  letters,  nor  use  records  in 
judgments  or  other  writings,  but  in  their  holy  things  and 
offices  of  accompts  for  the  king.  They  use  no  dirges  or 
devotions  for  the  dead.  They  use  pictures,  but  not  carved 
nor  graven  images.  They  paint  Christ,  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
and  other  saints  in  blacke  forme,  as  devils  and  wicked  men 
in  white.  So  they  paint  Christ  and  his  apostles  at  the 
Maundie  blacke,  and  Judas  white;  Christ  in  his  Passion 
blacke,  and  Annas,  Caiaphas,  Pilate,  Herod,  and  the  Jewes 
white  ;   Michael  blacke,  and  the  devil  white."* 

*  Vol.  ii.  p.  1163,  1184. 


276  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 

We  shall  not  fatigue  the  attention  of  the  reader  with 
minute  details  on  the  music,  the  dancing,  and  other  pas- 
times of  the  Abyssinians,  which  differ  not  much  from  those 
of  mere  barbarians.  The  same  reason  has  induced  us  to 
abstain  from  a  recital  of  the  amusements  and  domestic  man- 
ners of  the  Nubians,  who  live  in  a  state  still  more  artless 
than  their  eastern  neighbours,  and  retain  a  larger  share  of 
that  simplicity  which  characterizes  the  pursuits  of  the 
savage,  or  at  least  of  the  human  being  in  the  very  lowest 
condition  of  civilized  existence. 


GEOLOGY. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Exhibiting  the  more  remarkable  Features  in  Nubia  and  Abyssinia. 

Want  of  attention  to  this  subject  on  the  part  of  Travellers— Primitive 
Rocks— Granite.  Gneiss,  Porphyry,  Quartz,  and  Serpentine— Similar 
Structure  towards  the  Eastern  Frontier — Mountains  of  Cosseir— Mar- 
ble —  Emerald  Mountains  —  Batn-el-Hadjar  —  Dar  Mahass — Primary 
Rocks— Secondary  Formation  at  Berber — Primitive  Strata  reappear — 
El  Querebyn— Fazoglo— Singueh— Mountains  of  Abyssinia— Taranta 
— Lamalmon— Ganza — Singular  Shapes — Occasioned  by  Periodical 
Rains— Theory  of  the  Earth— Reflections. 

No  one  has  written  on  the  geological  structure  of  Ethiopia 
without  expressing  regret,  that  the  enterprising  travellers  to 
whom  we  are  indebted  for  so  much  valuable  information  in  other 
respects,  should  not  have  found  it  convenient  to  devote  more 
attention  to  the  character  and  distribution  of  mineral  substances. 
Above  the  first  cataract  the  banks  of  the  river,  or  rather  the  chan- 
nel of  the  stream  itself,  may  be  considered  as  constituting  the 
great  highway  which  connects  Egypt  with  Sennaar  and  Abys- 
sinia— a  line  from  which  tourists  have  hitherto  deviated  so  little, 
that  whatever  is  situated  a  few  hundred  yards  on  either  side  of  it 
may  be  pronounced  utterly  unknown  to  Europeans.  .  The  rocks 
that  project  into  the  current,  or  form  the  partial  obstacles  over 
which  it  precipitates  its  waters,  may  have  been  hastily  inspected 
by  the  passing  stranger,  who  describes  them  as  sandstone  or 
granite,  according  to  the  extent  of  his  knowledge,  and  gives 
them  a  place  in  a  system  agreeably  to  the  principles  of  the 
school  in  which  he  has  happened  to  be  initiated.  Hence 
nothing  is  less  satisfactorily  determined  than  the  nature  and 
succession  of  those  stony  bodies  which  compose  the  basin  of 
the  Upper  Nile,  except  perhaps  the  magnificent  ranges  of  moun- 
tains which  stretch  from  the  Nubian  frontier  to  the  shores  of 
the  Arabian  Gulf. 

We  have  elsewhere  observed  that  the  hills  of  secondary  for- 
mation, which  bound  Egypt  on  the  east  and  west,  graduate  into 
primitive  masses  as  they  approach  the  neighbourhood  of  Syene. 
At  this  point,  where  the  calcareous  strata  of  the  north  give  place 
to  the  granitic  ridge  which  has  been  traced  far  into  the  south, 
the  rocks,  from  a  certain  intermixture  of  hornblende,  assume  a 
A  a 


278  GEOLOGY. 

peculiar  aspect,  and  are  described  by  a  specific  term.  Thd 
granite  itself  appears  to  be  occasionally  diversified  by  alterna- 
tions of  gneiss,  porphyry,  clay-slate,  quartz,  and  serpentine, 
which  contain  as  imbedded  minerals  a  great  variety  of  carnelians 
and  jaspers.  There  has  also  been  discovered  in  the  vicinity  a 
true  marble,  or  gfanular  foliated  limestone,  exhibiting  the 
various  hues  of  white,  gray,  yellow,  blue,  and  red  ;  and  which, 
when  combined  with  the  green  tint  of  the  serpentine,  forms  the 
well-known  verde  antico. 

In  an  eastern  direction  we  can  trace  indications  of  a  similar 
structure  across  the  whole  extent  of  the  desert ;  the  specimens 
presenting  in  some  places  a  splintery  or  conchoidal  fracture,  a 
gray  or.  variegated  colour,  and  numerous  petrifactions  of  shells, 
corals,  and  fishes.  The  mountainous  country  near  Cosseir  con- 
tains many  calcareous  eminences  in  which  gypsum  predomi- 
nates ;  while,  in  the  valleys  which  intersect  the  elevated  ground, 
the  sand  is  partly  calcareous  and  partly  siliceous,  denoting  the 
quality  of  the  strata  from  the  waste  of  which  it  is  formed.  It  is 
even  said  that  the  ridge  in  question  consists  of  three  kinds  of 
rock ;  the  first  of  which  is  a  small-grained  granite  ;  the  second 
is  a  breccia  or  puddingstone  of  a  particular  sort,  known  by  the 
name  of  breccia  de  verde ;  and  to  this  succeeds,  for  the  space  of 
thirty  miles,  a  schistose  deposite,  which  seems  to  be  of  a  con- 
temporaneous formation  with  the  breccias,  since  they  are  con- 
nected by  gradual  transitions,  and  contain  rounded  masses  of  the 
same  substance. 

The  mountains  observed  by  Bruce  on  his  way  to  Cosseir  are 
described  by  him  as  being  composed  of  green  and  red  marble  ; 
and  after  a  journey  of  two  hours  he  found  hills  of  porphyry,  out 
of  which  the  Egyptian  monuments  appear  to  have  been  hewed. 
The  stone  in  this  case  was  perfectly  purple,  though  rather  soft 
and  brittle  when  newly  separated  from  the  quarry.  This  for- 
mation was  succeeded  by  a  lofty  ridge,  the  greatest  part  of 
which  was  marble,  verde  antico,  and  by  far  the  most  beautiful  that 
he  had  ever  seen.  Proceeding  still  towards  the  south,  he  ex- 
amined a  range  of  mountains,  the  prevailing  rock  in  which  was 
a  kind  of  granite,  with  reddish  veins  throughout,  and  black 
spots  of  a  square  or  triangular  form.  Nearer  the  shore  of  the 
gulf  the  green  marble  once  more  appeared,  which  was  succeeded 
by  a  very  high  mountain  composed  of  serpentine  ;  and  "  through 
about  one-third  of  the  thickness  ran  a  large  vein  of  jasper,  green, 
spotted  with  red.  Its  exceeding  hardness  was  such  as  not  to 
yield  to  the  blows  of  a  hammer."* 

The  descriptions  of  the  traveller,  while  they  leave  no  doubt 
that  the  country  through  which  he  made  his  journey  consists 
of  primary  rocks,  afford  but  a  faint  light  as  to-  their  order  and 

*  Travels,  vol.  ii.  p.  89. 


GEOLOGY.  279 

distribution ;  and  our  regret  on  this  head  is  not  diminished  by 
the  reflection  that  subsequent  writers  have  not  removed  the 
darkness  in  winch  he  left  one  of  the  most  important  branches 
of  .natural  history. 

Near  the  coast,  on  the  eastern  boundaries  of  Nubia,  there 
occurs  a  singular  chain  of  slaty  hills,  presenting  in  their  compo- 
sition rock-crystal  and  steatite  ;  though,  at  a  little  distance,  they 
suddenly  change  their  character,  the  greater  part  of  them  appear- 
ing in  the  form  of  limestone  or  alabaster,  in  strata  lying  nearly 
north  and  south.  Here  are  the  remains  of  the  astrea  diluviana ; 
and  among  the  rocks  considered  by  geologists  as  of  later  forma- 
tion are  observed  specimens  of  a  schistose  structure,  together 
with  porphyries  not  distinctly  characterized.  Here  also  the 
bottoms  of  the  valleys  are  covered  with  immense  fragments  ; 
among  winch  are  clay-slate,  gneiss,  porphyry,  granite,  and  cer- 
tain other  compound  rocks,  exhibiting  in  their  structure  ac- 
tynolite,  steatite,  and  nodules  of  a  species  of  lamellated  spar. 

In  the  same  neighbourhood  are  situated  the  famous  Emerald 
Mountains,  of  which  mention  is  made  by  several  ancient  writers. 
The  highest  of  the  group,  which  is  called  Zubara,  was  visited 
both  by  Bruce  and  Belzoni,  whose  descriptions  of  it  verify  the 
details  of  the  Greek  and  Roman  authors,  although  the  treasures 
of  which  the  latter  were  wont  to  boast  have  entirely  disappeared. 
The  old  excavations  were  found  to  consist  of  low  galleries 
much  obstructed  with  rubbish,  and  rendered  dangerous  by  the 
looseness  of  the  roof.  The  passages  went  very  far  into  the  body 
of  the  hill,  along  beds  of  mica  and  marble  ;  and  the  emeralds 
appear  to  have  been  procured  at  a  great  distance  from  the  sur- 
face, and  chiefly  at  the  place  where  two  calcareous  strata,  en- 
closing the  mica  between  them,  met  one  another. 

In  tracing  the  progress  of  Cailliaud,  Waddington,  and  Han- 
bury,  Richardson,  English,  and  other  travellers  up  the  Nile,  we 
are  supplied  with  such  incidental  notices  as  remove  all  doubt 
in  regard  to  the  prevailing  character  of  the  rocks  which  con- 
stitute its  banks.  In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  second  cataract, 
and  indeed  throughout  the  Batn-el-Hadjar,  the  formation  is  ob- 
viously primitive  ;  for  we  find  granite,  slate,  and  a  very  compact 
sandstone,  about  which  last,  however,  there  is  some  variety  of 
opinion.  At  the  beginning  of  the  falls  the  felspar  is  of  a  dark 
colour,  and  lends  to  the  cliffs  a  very  sombre  appearance  ;  but 
at  Wad y  Ambigo  it  assumes  a  red  tint,  and  becomes  much  more 
lively  and  agreeable  to  the  eye. 

A  similar  formation,  it  would  appear,  extends  into  Dar  Ma- 
hass,  where  rocks  of  the  oldest  class  appear  on  every  hand,  and 
which  is  distinguished  by  a  large  mountain  called  Fogo,  con- 
taining "  a  great  deal  of  agate  and  fine  quartz,  and  every  variety 
of  granite."  Cailliaud  discovered,  besides  those  just  mentioned, 
a  number  of  fragments  composed  almost  entirely  of  a  beautiful 


280  GEOLOGY. 

green  felspar ;  but  these  relics  rather  served  to  indicate  the 
nature  of  the  mountains  which  had  once  covered  the  edge  of 
the  desert,  than  to  afford  any  key  to  the  actual  condition  of  the 
mineral  kingdom  in  circumstances  so  materially  changed. 
When  the  Egyptian  army  under  Ishmael  approached  the  island 
of  Kandy,  they  observed  some  granitic  rocks,  composed  in  gene- 
ral of  white  felspar,  and  a  considerable  proportion  of  mica  of  the 
same  colour,  and  remarkable  for  its  pearly  aspect.  The  prince 
sent  a  portion  of  it.  to  the  Frenchman  to  ascertain  whether  or 
not  it  was  silver.  The  miners  attached  to  the  suite  of  the  pasha 
did  not  hesitate  to  affirm  that  the  resemblance  of  this  substance 
to  one  of  the  metals  which  exercise  so  much  power  over  the 
minds  of  men,  could  not  fail  to  conduct  them  to  the  discovery 
of  veins  immensely  rich.  The  mica,  according  to  these  learned 
mineralogists,  was  nothing  else  than  silver  which  had  not  yet 
attained  to  maturity. 

According  to  the  author  just  quoted,  the  primitive  rocks  cease 
to  appear  when  the  traveller  approaches  the  country  of  Berber. 
The  granite,  gneiss,  and  slate  give  way  to  sandstone,  which, 
says  he,  forms  the  basis  of  the  whole  plain.  But  we  cannot 
refrain  from  remarking,  that  as  his  description  of  the  latter 
strata  is  veiy  brief  and  imperfect,  there  is  room  for  doubt  whether 
there  is  any  actual  change  of  formation,  and  whether  the  sand- 
stone may  not,  in  the  character  of  quartz  rock,  also  belong  to  the 
same  order  as  the  gneiss  and  granite.  Our  suspicions  on  this 
head  are  confirmed  by  the  fact,  that  the  primary  rocks  soon 
afterward  appear  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  continue  as  far 
as  the  tenth  degree  of  latitude,  the  remotest  point  to  which 
the  researches  of  the  moderns  have  extended  under  that  me- 
ridian.* 

The  appearance  of  the  mountains  nearGerri  denotes  that  they 
are  primitive ;  but  it  must  be  admitted  that  they  were  not  ex- 
amined. There  is  no  doubt,  however,  in  regard  to  the  range  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  El  Querebyn,  the  principal  ingredient  of 
which  is  a  foliated  syenite,  having  the  felspar  of  a  pale  rose-col- 
our, and  being  much  charged  with  hornblende.  The  round 
blocks  into  which  it  is  divided  exhibit  in  their  superposition 
the  same  appearance  as  the  rocks  of  Es  Souan  and  Philae  ;  an 
arrangement  so  closely  resembling  a  work  of  art  that  the  natives 
imagine  they  must  have  been  piled  up  by  the  hands  of  man. 

The  high  hill  in  the  vicinity  of  Fazoglo  is  composed  chiefly 
of  granite.  There  are  found  in  it,  at  the  same  time,  rocks  of 
horneblende  and  felspar,  with  veins  of  the  latter  nearly  as  white 
and  as  much  crystallized  as  loaf-sugar.  On  the  banks  of  the 
Toumat,  also,  the  mountains  exhibited  the  same  composition, — 

*  "Ici  finit  lesol  primitif  et  commence  le  gres,  qui  constitue  celui  de 
la  plaine."— Vol.  ii.  p.  92. 


-GEOLOGY.  281 

granite  and  felspar ;  a  geological  aspect,  says  M.  Cailliaud, 
which  satisfied  them  that  they  were  approaching  the  district 
celebrated  for  its  treasures  of  gold.* 

At  Singueh,  in  like  manner,  granite  rocks  with  white  felspar 
were  observed  on  all  hands,  affording  a  clear  proof  that  the 
travellers  had  not  yet  left  a  primitive  country.  •  Darfur  and  Kor- 
dofan  present  similar  formations ;  whence  we  may  conclude 
that  the  greater  part  of  Eastern  Africa,  between  the  parallels 
of  10°  and  24°,  belongs  to  the  oldest  class  of  deposites  with 
which  geologists  are  acquainted. 

In  a  region  where  so  little  examination  has  taken  place  on  the 
great  scale,  we  must  not  expect  that  mineralogy,  or  the  know- 
ledge of  simple  bodies,  has  been  accurately  studied.  But  from 
the  prevailing  features  of  the  landscape,  viewed  in  relation  to 
geology,  we  may  infer  that  the  precious  stones,  which  are 
found  elsewhere  in  similar  circumstances,  are  not  denied  to  the 
Nubians. 

Abyssinia  is  remarkable  for  the  lofty  ranges  of  mountains  by 
which  it  is  traversed.  One  of  these,  named  Taranta,  is  on  the 
east  of  the  kingdom,  and  extends  in  a  direction  nearly  parallel 
to  the. Red  Sea.  Another  occupies  the  centre;  and,  besides  a 
third  situated  towards  the  southern  border,  there  are  numerous 
detached  groups  in  the  intermediate  plains.  The  second  of 
these  is  known  by  the  name  of  its  highest  summit,  Lamalmon ; 
the  last  is  usually  denominated  the  chain  of  Ganza.  The  former 
contains  the  mountains  of  Amhara  and  Samen,  which  are  re- 
puted to  be  the  most  elevated  in  the  kingdom ;  the  other,  from 
the  circumstance  of  its  exhibiting  a  semicircular  form,  was 
imagined  by  Mr.  Bruce  to  constitute  part  of  the  range  celebrated 
as  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon — an  absurd  appellation  given  to 
an  immense  chain,  supposed,  on  very  inadequate  grounds,  to 
stretch  across  the  African  continent.  The  geology  of  Abyssinia 
is  indeed  very  imperfectly  known ;  but  from  the  magnitude  of 
the  hills,  the  mode  of  arrangement,  and  the  sharp  peaks  which 
rise  into  the  sky,  there  is  every  reason  to  conclude  that  they 
belong  to  the  primitive  formation. 

The  province  of  Tigre  is  all  mountainous,  and  some  of  the 
groups  are  of  great  height.  Indeed,  the  older  travellers  main- 
tained that  the  Alps  and  Pyrenees  were  not  to  be  compared  to 
them  in  respect  to  elevation — an  assertion  which  has  been  found 
inconsistent  with  a  more  exact  measurement.  It  is  not,  how- 
ever, the  extreme  altitude  of  the  Abyssinian  mountains  that 
occasions  surprise,  but  their  number,  and  the  uncommon  forms 
which  they  present  to  the  eye.  "  Some  of  them  are  flat,  thin, 
and  square,  in  shape  of  a  hearth-stone  or  slab,  that  scarce  would 
seem  to  have  base  sufficient  to  resist  the  winds.    Some  are  like 

*  Vol.  ii.  p.  415. 
Aa3 


282  -  GEOLOGY. 

pyramids,  others  like  obelisks  or  prisms,  and  some,  the  most  ex- 
traordinary of  all,  pyramids  pitched  upon  their  points  with  their 
base  uppermost,  which,  if  it  was  possible,  as  it  is  not,  they 
could  have  been  so  formed  in  the  beginning,  would  be  strong 
objections  to  our  received  ideas  of  gravity."* 

In  this  delineation  there  are  no  doubt  some  traces  of  that,  vivid 
fancy  which  was  so  apt  to  carry  the  .author  beyond  the  precise 
boundaries  of  fact,  and  occasionally  disposed  him  to  touch  his 
canvass  with  the  most  striking  colours.  But  making  the  proper 
allowance  for  this  constitutional  exaggeration,  it  must  still  be 
granted  that  the  mountains  of  Tigre  and  Adowa  are  distinguished 
by  features  of  a  very  peculiar  character,  and  at  the  same  time  most 
interesting  as  connected  with  the  principles  of  geology.  Even 
Mr.  Salt,  whose  more  sober  judgment  and  chastened  eye  were 
constantly  employed  in  noting  any  little  deviations  from  the 
exact  line  of  reality,  acknowledges  that  "  a  thousand  different- 
shaped  hills  were  presented  to  the  view,  which  bore  the  appear- 
ance of  having  been  dropped  on  an  irregular  plain." 

The  singular  forms  now  mentioned  are  the  result  of  those  peri- 
odical rains  which  carry  the  soil  of  Ethiopia  to  the  shores  of  the 
Mediterranean,  and  which,  after  fertilizing  Egypt,  are  continually 
adding  to  its  extent  at  the  various  mouths  of  the  Nile.  The 
mountains,  composed  of  various  strata  and  rocky  deposites,  yield 
unequally  to  the  torrents  which  rush  upon  them  from  the  clouds  ; 
the  softer  parts  melting  down  and  disappearing,  while  the  gran- 
ite with  its  kindred  masses  resists,  during  a  longer  period  at  least, 
the  operation  of  a  cause  which  in  the  end  will  certainly  prove 
irresistible.  The  seacoast  occasionally  presents  similar  phe- 
nomena on  a  small  scale.  The  waves,  acting  on  the  barrier  of 
rocks,  perforate  some,  undermine  others,  and  give  rise  to  those  an- 
gular forms  and  projections  which  at  a  distance  assume  the  most 
grotesque  appearances.  It  is  not  easy  to  calculate  the  power 
of  a  principle  which,  though  constantly  in  action,  proceeds  with 
great  irregularity  within  any  given  space  of  time;  but  the  effects 
of  the  rain  on  the  hilly  surface  is  known  to  be  very  great,  while 
the  skeleton  aspect  of  the  highest  mountains  confirms  in  this 
point  of  view  the  evidence  of  experience.  When,  for  example, 
Bruce  was  ascending  Taranta,  a  sudden  noise  was  heard  on  the 
heights  louder  than  the  loudest  thunder ;  and  almost  imme- 
diately a  river,  the  channel  of  which  had  been  dry,  came  down 
in  a  stream  about  the  height  of  a  man,  and  the  breadth  of  the 
whole  bed  it  used  to  occupy.  "  The  water  was  thick,  tinged 
with  red  earth.  Hence,  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  sides  of  the 
hills  should  in  many  parts  be  washed  away,  and  that  the  rocks 
should  project  on  high  like  steeples  and  obelisks,  and  be  broken 
into  a  thousand  different  forms."! 

*  Bruce,  vol.  iv.  p.  317.  t  Ibid.  p.  261,  307. 


GEOLOGY.  283 

There  is  a  celebrated  theory  of  the  earth,  which  rests  on  the 
assumption  that  all  the  land  now  above  water  will  in  the  course 
of  ges  be  swept  into  the  sea,  to  be  re-formed  into  new  con- 
tinents, and  in  due  time  raised  above  the  surface,  as  the  abode 
of  future  generations,  both  of  men  and  of  the  inferior  species. 
Whatever  degree  of  truth  there  may  be  in  the  geological  specu- 
lations connected  with  this  hypothesis,  it  will  be  admitted  that 
no  part  of  the  world  supplies  a  better  illustration  of  its  leading 
principles  than  Abyssinia,  or  diminishes  to  a  greater  extent  the 
feeling  of  improbability  which  appears  inseparable  from  its 
first  announcement.  The  actual  condition  of  the  mountains, 
resembling  in  some  places  an  animal  body  stripped  of  the  flesh, 
affords  an  ample  proof  that  no  element  but  time  is  wanting  to 
complete  the  disintegration  of  the  whole  surface  of  Eastern 
Africa,  and  thereby  to  reduce  it  to  the  level  of  the  ocean. 

These  facts  would  lead  to  reflections  quite  unsuitable  to  the 
limits  of  this  chapter.  Following  such  a  train  of  thought,  the 
geologist  would  see  himself  in  the  midst  of  a  vast  ruin,  where  the 
precipices  which  rise  on  all  sides,  the  sharp  peaks  of  the  granite 
mountains,  and  the  huge  fragments  that  surround  their  bases 
seem  to  mark  so  many  epochs  in  the  progress  of  decay,  and  to 
point  out  the  energy  of  those  destructive  causes  which  even  the 
magnitude  and  solidity  of  such  great  bodies  have  been  unable  to 
resist.  Perhaps  he  would  see  reason  to  infer  that  the  northern 
deserts  of  Africa  occupy  the  place  of  extensive  hills  which  have 
been  crumbled  down  by  the  hand  of  time  ;  while  the  dry  chan- 
nels of  ancient  rivers  might  be  held  as  indications  of  the  line  in 
which  the  waters  rushing  from  them  were  conveyed  to  the 
Mediterranean.* 

*  Flayfair,  vol.  i.  p.  122. 


ZOOLOGY. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Notices  regarding  some  of  the  principal  Features  m  the  Zoology  of 
the  Countries  described,  in  the  preceding  Chapters. 

Peculiarity  in  the  Physical  Structure  of  the  Inhabitants  of  Upper  Egypt — 
Animals  numerous  in  Abyssinia — Monkeys — Bats— Canine  Animals — 
Fennec — Hyenas— Lynxes— Feline  Animals — Supposed  Origin  of  our 
Domestic  Cat— Jerboa — Different  Kinds  of  Wild  Hog— Hippopotamus 
— Rhinoceros — Equine  Animals — Giraffe — Antelopes — Birds  of  Prey — 
Lamrrrergeyer— Vulture — Owls — Pigeons — Hornbills — Parrots  —  Bus- 
tard— Storks — Water  Fowl — Reptiles— Crocodile —Cerastes — Fishes 
—Shells— Pearl  Muscles— Insects— Tsaltsalya  Fly— Locusts. 

It  has  been  the  practice  of  several  natural  historians  to  com- 
mence their  systematic  expositions  with  a  "  Nosce  teipsum," 
followed  by  a  brief  description  of  the  human  race  ;  thus,  with 
more  modesty  than  truth,  affecting  to  classify  themselves  with 
the  beasts  that  perish.  That  many  of  us  are  very  "  brutish  per- 
sons" is  a  fact  which  cannot  be  gainsaid  ;  but  still  there  is  some- 
thing sufficiently  preposterous  in  the  grave  and  formal  enuncia- 
tion of  those  characters  by  which  mankind  in  general  are  allied 
to,  or  distinguished  from,  the  brute  creation.  The  human  race 
possesses  indeed  the  attributes  of  animal  life  in  common  with 
the  inferior  orders ;  but  we  should  never  cease  to  retain  a  firm 
conviction  that  these  are  "  the  accidents,  not  the  essentials,  of 
our  nature  ;"*  and  that  however  proper  it  may  be  to  mention 
them  as  the  technical  statements  of  physiology,  they  are  yet  totally 
inadequate  to  the  description  of  a  being  who  bears  within  him 
the  germ  of  an  immortal  life,  and  knows  that  he  was  created 
if  but  a  little  lower  than  the  angels." — "  Those  persons,"  says 
Buffon,  "  who  see,  hear,  or  smell  imperfectly  are  of  no  less  in- 
tellectual capacity  than  others  ;  an  evident  proof  that  in  man 
there  is  something  more  than  an  internal  sense.  This  is  the 
soul  of  man,  which  is  an  independent  and  superior  sense — a  lofty 
and  spiritual  existence — entirely  different  in  its  essence  and 
action  from  the  nature  of  the  external  senses."! 

In  conformity  with  these  impressions  we  have  hitherto,  in 
the  zoological  disquisitions  which  occur  in  this  Library,  as» 

*  Grinfield's  Letters  to  Laurence. 

t  Encyclopaedia  Britannica,  7th  edition,  vol.  iii,  p.  159. 


QUADRUPEDS.  285 

signed  the  most  prominent  place  to  the  quadrumanous  order 
which  we  regard  as  the  most  highly  organized  of  the  brute  crea- 
tion, and  have  altogether  avoided  what  we  consider  as  the 
degradation  of  the  human  race.  We  shall  not  here  depart  from 
the  observance  of  an  accustomed  rule,  further  than  to  notice 
very  briefly  a  peculiarity  in  the  physical  structure  of  some  of 
those  tribes,  with  the  general  history  of  which  the  reader  has 
already  been  made  acquainted. 

It  is  long  since  Winkelman  observed  that  the  ear  was  invaria- 
bly placed  much  higher  in  the  Egyptian  statues  than  in  the 
Greek  ;  but  he  attributed  this  peculiarity  to  a  systematic  prac- 
tice in  Egyptian  art,  of  elevating  the  ears  of  their  kings  in  like 
manner  as  the  Greek  artists  are  known  to  have  exaggerated  the 
perpendicularity  of  the  facial  angle  in  the  heads  of  their  gods  and 
heroes.  M.  Dureau  de  la  Malle,  in  his  recent  visit  to  the  museum 
at  Turin,  so  rich  in  Egyptian  monuments,  was  particularly 
struck  with  this  feature  in  all  the  statues  of  Phta,  Mceris,  Osy- 
mandias,  Ramesses,  and  Sesostris.  Six  mummies  recently 
arrived  from  Upper  Egypt  were  at  that  time  under  examinatien, 
and  afforded  him  the  means  of  ascertaining  whether  this  special 
character  of  the  higher  situation  of  the  orifice  of  the  ear  really 
existed  in  the  sculls  of  the  natives  of  the  country.  He  was 
surprised  to  find  in  them,  as  well  as  in  many  other  sculls  from 
the  same  place,  of  which  the  facial  angle  did  not  differ  from  that 
of  the  European  race,  that  the  orifice  of  the  ear,  instead  of  being, 
as  with  us,  on  a  fine  with  the  lower  part  of  the  nose,  was  placed 
on  a  line  with  the  centre  part  of  the  eye.  The  head  in  the  region 
of  the  temple  was  also  much  depressed,  and  the  top  of  the  scull 
elevated,  as  compared  with  those  of  Europe,  from  one  and  a  half 
to  two  inches.  It  is  somewhat  singular  that  this  character  should 
have  hitherto  eluded  the  observation  of  so  many  professional 
anatomists,  and  of  all  the  travellers  who  have  traversed  Egypt. 
As  a  striking  corroboration  of  so  singular  a  structure,  which 
may  not  inaptly  be  regarded  as  the  Egyptian  type,  and  a  newly- 
observed  variety  of  the  Caucasian  race,  M\  Dureau  cites  as  an 
example  M.  Elias  Boctor,  a  Copt,  native  of  Upper  Egypt,  who 
has  been  twenty  years  in  Paris  as  a  professor  of  Arabic.  He 
was  well  known  to  M.  Dureau,  who  had  constantly  remarked 
the  great  elevation  of  his  ears,  which  indeed  had  rather  the  ap- 
pearance of  two  httle  horns  than  of  the  ordinary  human  append- 
ages. The  Hebrew  race  are  moreover  said  to  resemble  the 
Egyptians  in  several  particulars.  The  same  author  examined 
and  found  that  the  ears  of  M.  Carmeli,  a  Jew,  professor  of  He- 
brew, although  not  placed  so  high  as  in  the  mummies  or  Copts 
of  Upper  Egypt,  were  still  very  remarkable  as  compared  with 
those  of  the  natives  of  Europe.* 

*  Bevue  Encyclop&iique,  and  Literary  Gazette,  June  23, 1832. 


286  ZOOLOGY. 

Before  proceeding  to  notice  a  few  of  the  more  remarkable 
of  the  wild  species,  we  may  observe  that  the  domesticated  ani- 
mals of  Abyssinia  consist,  as  is  usual  in  most  countries,  of  oxen, 
sheep  (chiefly  a  small  black  variety),  goats,  horses,  mules,  asses, 
and  a  few  camels.  Two  kinds  of  dogs  are  frequent,  one  of 
which,  like  the  Pariah  dog  of  India,  owns  no  master,  but  lives 
in  packs  attached  to  the  different  villages  ;  while  the  other  is  a 
fleet  and  powerful  animal,  of  general  use  for  the  purposes  of  the 
chase.  From  its  earliest  days  the  latter  is  taught  to  run  down 
game,  especially  Guinea  fowls,  and  Mr.  Salt  informs  us  that 
its  expertness  in  catching  them  is  astonishing.  It  never  loses 
sight  of  the  birds  for  an  instant  after  it  has  once  started  them 
from  their  haunts.  Tame  cats  are  to  be  seen  in  every  house  in 
Abyssinia.* 

According  to  Brace,  no  country  in  the  world  produces  a 
greater  number  and  variety  of  animals,  whether  wild  or  tame. 
The  mountains,  where  free  from  wood,  are  covered  to  their 
summits  with  a  rich  and  luxuriant  verdure.  The  long  and 
refreshing  rains  of  summer  are  not  too  suddenly  absorbed  by  the 
solar  rays,  and  the  warmth  is  sufficient  to  promote  vegetation 
without  producing  those  withering  effects  which  usually  result 
from  heat  without  moisture.  The  horned  cattle,  some  of  which 
are  furnished  with  humps,  are  of  various  kinds  and  colours. 
Certain  breeds  are  without  horns,  while  others  are  remarkable 
for  the  gigantic  size  of  these  organs.  "  But  the  reader  may 
with  confidence  assure  himself  that  there  are  no  such  animals 
as  carnivorous  bulls  in  Africa,  and  that  this  story  has  been  in- 
vented for  no  other  purpose  but  a  desire  to  exhibit  an  animal 
worthy  of  wearing  these  prodigious  horns.  I  have  always 
wished  that  this  article  and  some  others  of  early  date  were 
blotted  out  of  our  Philosophical  Transactions  ;  they  are  absurdi- 
ties to  be  forgiven  to  infant  physic  and  to  early  travels,  but  they 
are  unworthy  of  standing  among  the  cautious  well-supported 
narrations  of  our  present  philosophers.  Though  we  may  say 
of  the  buffalo  that  it  is  of  this  kind,  yet  we  cannot  call  it  a  tame 
animal  here  ;  so  far  from  that,  it  is  the  most  ferocious  in  the 
country  where  it  resides  ;  this,  however,  is  not  in  the  high  tem- 
perate part  of  Abyssinia,  but  in  the  sultry  kolla,  or  valleys  below, 
where,  without  hiding  himself,  as  wild  beasts  generally  do,  as 
if  conscious  of  superiority  of  strength,  he  lies  at  his  ease  among 
large  spreading  shady  trees  near  the  clearest  and  deepest  rivers, 
or  the  largest  stagnant  pools  of  the  purest  water.  Notwith- 
standing this,  he  is  in  his  person  as  dirty  and  slovenly  as  he  is 
fierce,  brutal,  and  indocile ;  he  seems  to  maintain  among  his 
own  kind  the  same  character  for  manners  that  the  wolf  does 
among  the  carnivorous  tribe."f 

*  Salt's  Voyage,  Appendix,  p.  38.       t  Bruce's  Travels,  vol.  v.  p.  63, 


QUADRUPEDS.  287 

We  possess  a  very  imperfect  knowledge  of  the  quadrumanous 
tribes  of  this  portion  of  Africa,  although  we  know  that  several 
species  of  monkeys  abound  throughout  the  wilder  districts,  the 
largest  of  which  Mr.  Salt  says  is  called  Gingero,  and  is  nearly 
allied  to  those  found  in  Arabia.  Another  smaller  species,  with 
a  black  face,  is  named  Alestoo  in  the  Tigre,  and  Tota  in  the 
Amharic,  language.  The  fields  of  millet  in  Abyssinia  are  fre- 
quently destroyed  by  flocks  of  them,  aided  by  baboons. 

The  family  called  Cheiroptera  includes  those  remarkable  flying 
quadrupeds  generally  known  by  the  name  of  bats.  The  genus 
Molossus  of  Geoffroy  is  distinguished  by  the  fierceness  of  its 
aspect,  and  by  a  large  head  and  blunted  muzzle,  from  which 
have  no  doubt  been  derived  the  generic  name,  which  signifies 
mastiff.  Their  limbs  are  strong  and  muscular,  their  bodies 
heavy,  and  their  organs  of  flight  rather  disproportioned  to  their 
general  size.  They  dwell  in  caverns  and  other  subterranean 
excavations,  and  it  is  probable  that  they  live  chiefly  by  escalad- 
ing  precipices  and  trunks  of  trees,  as  in  some  species,  such,  for 
example,  as  M.  alecto  and  abrasus,  the  wings  are  narrow,  and  so 
cut  up  by  the  arching  of  the  posterior  margin  of  the  flying  mem- 
brane as  to  serve  rather  the  purpose  of  a  parachute  than  for 
regular  or  sustained  flight.  It  was  long  thought  that  all  the 
species  of  the  genus  were  peculiar  to  the  New  World  ;  but  this 
idea  is  now  discovered  to  be  erroneous.  The  travels  of  M. 
Riippel  in  Arabia,  Egypt,  and  Nubia  have  made  us  acquainted 
with  many  new  species  which  are  truly  referable  to  the  genus 
in  question;  It  will  also  no  doubt  prove  interesting  to  the 
student  of  the- classics,  as  well  as  to  the  natural  historian,  to  learn 
that  many  of  the  animals  indicated  by  Aristotle  and  Pliny  have 
been  discovered  by  that  enterprising  traveller.  His  investiga- 
tions prove  that  these  classical  species  differ  in  many  important 
points  from  those  with  which  they  have  hitherto  been  vaguely 
regarded  as  identical,  and  that  modern  naturalists  have  erred 
in  asserting  their  existence  in  the  countries  of  Southern 
Africa. 

The  species  described  by  M.  Temminck,  and  named  Dysopes 
Riippelii,  in  honour  of  the  traveller,  is  nearly  related  to  that  men- 
tioned by  Geoffroy  under  the  name  of  Nyctinomus  Egyptiacus. 
Its  size  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  Vespertilio  murinus  of  Europe. 
The  ears  are  excessively  large,  shell-shaped,  overshadowing  the 
face  ;  their  internal  margin  is  not  reunited,  but  projects  in  front 
from  a  common  base  ;  a  large  internal  fold  covers  the  eyes. 
The  tail  is  thick  and  depressed,  and  does  not  exceed  the  length 
of  the  body,  while  rather  less  than  the  half  is  enveloped  in  the 
interfemoral  membrane.  The  great  toe  of  the  posterior  limbs 
is  somewhat  more  free  than  the  others.  The  fur  is  fine,  close 
set,  and  abundant,  and  there  is  a  border  of  it  on  both  sides  of  the 


288  ZOOLOGY. 

membranous  wings,  along  the  flanks,  close  to  the  body.  The 
muzzle  is  thinly  covered  with  black  divergent  hairs.  The  lips 
are  large,  plaited,  and  somewhat  pendulous.  The  upper  sur- 
face is  throughout  of  a  uniform  mouse-colour  ;  the  inferior  parts 
are  very  similar  in  colour,  but  of  a  paler  hue.  The  hair  upon 
the  toes  is  long,  rather  arched,  and  whitish.  The  wings  are 
very  narrow,  but  of  considerable  extent.  The  male  measures 
from  tip  to  tip  about  15  inches,  the  female  not  much  above  13. 
The  total  length  of  the  body  and  tail  is  about  six  inches.  This 
species  inhabits  the  vaults  of  the  ancient  Egyptian  buildings,  and 
other  subterranean  places  in  the  north  of  Africa.  Specimens 
exist  in  the  museums  of  Leyden  and  Frankfort. 

Among  the  canine  animals  we  shall  specify  the  Abottkossein 
of  Nubia,  described  by  Riippel  (pi.  xi.)  under  the  name  of  Canis 
pallidas.  This  species  is  suspected  by  Baron  Cavier  (Regne 
Animal,  vol.  i.  p.  152)  to  be  identical  with  the  Adive  or  Canis 
corsac  of  Gmelin,  so  common  over  the  vast  deserts  of  Central 
Asia,  from  the  Volga  to  India.  It  is  said  never  to  drink,  and  its 
general  habits  are  those  of  a  fox. 

The  jackal  {Canis  anthiis)  is  well  known  in  these  parts  of 
Africa.  It  stands  higher  on  its  legs,  has  a  sharper  muzzle,  and 
shorter  tail  than  those  of  India,  being  identical  with  such  as 
occur  in  Senegal. 

As  a  sub-genus  of  the  dogs  we  may  rank  the  painted  hyena 
of  Temminck,  described  by  Mr.  Burchel  under  the  name  of 
Hyaena  venatica.  Mr.  B.  kept  a  living  specimen  of  this  animal 
chained  up  in  a  stable-yard'  for  thirteen  months,  during  which 
time  it  retained  its  natural  ferocity  of  disposition.  It  hunts  in 
packs  both  during  the  night  and  day.  The  fur  is  irregularly 
blotched  or  mottled  with  white  and  fawn  colour,  gray  and  black. 
Its  ears  are  large,  with  black  tips.  Its  size  is  that  of  a  wolf. 
This  species,  though  classed  with  the  hyenas,  which  in  some 
respects  it  greatly  resembles,  possesses,  however,  the  dental 
system  of  a  dog.  We  notice  it  in  ihis  place  in  consequence  of 
its  having  been  recently  ascertained  by  M.  Riippel  to  inhabit 
Kordofan.  * 

Great  contrariety  of  opinion  has  existed  among  naturalists  as 
to  the  nature  and  relationship  of  the  animal  described  by  Bruce 
under  the  name  of  fennec,  and  in  addition  to  merely  scientific 
discussion,  some  not  very  amiable  inferences  have  been  deduced 
by  that  spirit  of  rivalry  which,  though  useful  in  as  far  as  emula- 
tion is  inconsistent  with  lethargy,  is  sometimes  apt,  especially 
in  acrimonious  minds,  to  overflow  its  bounds.  The  discovery 
of  the  animal  in  question,  though  usually  assigned  to  our  Abys- 
sinian traveller,  is  likewise  claimed  by  a  Swedish  gentleman, 

*  Atlas  zu  der  Reise  im  Nordlichen  Airika,  Taf.  xii. 


QUAL'RIT^US.  289 

Mr.  Shioldebrand,  who  is  asserted  by  the  former  to  have  got 
the  start  of  him  in  this  matter  by  some  petty  artifice.  Neither 
the  one  nor  the  other,  however,  has  described  the  species  with 
such  a  degree  of  scientific  accuracy  as  to  be  of  any  avaii  in  de- 
termining its  place  in  the  system ;  and  the  consequence  of  this 
has  been  that  each  compiler  has  referred  it  to  a  different  genus. 
Some  have  classed  it  with  the  most  carnivorous  species,  others 
have  looked  upon  it  as  a  canine  animal.  linger  made  it  the 
type  of  a  new  genus,  under  the  name  of  Megalotis,  while  it  has 
also  been  placed  with  the  squirrels  in  the  order  Glires,  and  has 
even  been  regarded  as  a  quad  ruinatious  species  belonging  to  the 
genus  Galago.  Although  known  by  various  appellations,  such 
as  zerdo,  zerda,  fennec,  &c,  it  is,  nevertheless,  more  commonly 
called  the  "anonymous  animal,"  as.  if  it  had  no  name  at  all. 
One  writer  describes -it  as  inhabiting  the  desert  wastes  of  the 
Sahara,  where  it  digs  itself  a  subterranean  dwelling,  and  he 
adds  that  there  is  no  auditory  passage  in  its  ears,  lest  it  should 
be  incommoded  by  the  loose  and  -arid  sand;  while  another 
assures  us  that  it  dwells  habitually  amid  the  summits  of  the 
loftiest  palm-trees,  and,  in  fact,  owes  its  name"  to  that  circum- 
stance, the  term  fennec  being-  asserted  to  signify  a  palm.  In 
consequence  of  these  contradictory  accounts,  some  recent 
authors  deny  its  existence  as  a  species  altogether,  while  others 
allege  that  the  so  called  anonymous  animal  constitutes  in  fact  a 
distinct  genus,  consisting  of  two  easily  distinguished  species, 

Buffon  published  a  figure  of  the  fennec  from  a  drawing  trans- 
mitted to  him  by  Bruce.  As  his  views  of  systematic  arrange- 
ment were  extremely  fanciful,  we  need  not  be  surprised  that  he 
should  have  placed  it  between  the  squirrel  and  the  hare.  Blu- 
menbach,  from  Bruce^s  description,  refers-  it  to  the  civets,  and 
Sparrman  "maintains  its  identity  with  a  South  African  species 
called  Zerda, — in  consequence  of  which  it  continues  to  bear 
that  name  in  many  systematic  works.  Ilfiger,  as  we  have 
already  mentioned,  makes  it  the  type  of  a  genus,  under  the  title 
of  Megalotis  ;  and  M.  Desmarest  also  elevates  it  to  the  rank  of  a 
genus,  under  the  appellation  of  Fcnnecus.  A  feeble  fight  was 
thrown  upon  its.  actual  station  by  these  transpositions. 

At  a  more  recent  period,  however,  the  museum  of  Frankfort 
was  visited  by  two  intelligent:  zoologists,  almost  at  the  same 
time, — we  mean  M.  Temminck  and  Dr.  Sigismond  Leuckart, 
of  Heidelberg,  both  of  whom  recognised  the  fennee  in  an  ani- 
mal sent  from  Dongola  by  the  traveller  Riippel.  It  appears,  in 
fact,  to  be  a  canine  animal,  nearly  allied  to  the  subdivision 
which  contains  the  foxes,  and  approaching  particularly  to  the 
Canis<orsac.  The  teeth,  the  feet;  the  number  of  toes,  and  the 
form  of  the  tail  are  precisely  those  of  a  fox ;  but  the  limbs  are 
higher,  and  more  slender  in  proportion.  The  head  is  rendered 
of  a  pecuhar  "aspect  by  the  prodigious  size  of  the  ears,  The 
Bb 


290  ZOOLOGY. 

upper  parts  of  the  body  are  of  a  straw-yellow,  the  under  of  a 
veUowish-white.  The  latter  colour  also  characterizes  the  fore- 
legs, and  the  greater  portion  of  the  hinder  ones.  The  woolly 
portions  of  the  coat  are  long,  soft,  and  white  ;  the  silky  are  also 
very  soft,  and  are  annulated  with  white  and  straw-colour,  with 
here  and  there  a  few  black  points.  The  general  colour  of  the 
tail,  especially  of  its  superior  portion,  is  brownish-yellow,  but 
blackish  towards  the  point  and  root.  Our  information  is  still 
defective  regarding  the  manners  of  this  species ;  but  it  appears 
to  be  the  opinion  of  those  who  have  studied  its  characters  and 
history  that  the  fact  reported  by  Bruce  of  its  living  on  trees  is 
erroneous,  and  that  it  is  more  probably  a  ground,  or  even  sub- 
terranean animal,  supporting  itself,  in  the  state  of  nature,  on 
small  quadrupeds,  birds,  and  insects. 

"  Though  his  favourite  food,"  says  Mr.  Bruce,  speaking  of  this 
annual,  "  seemed  to  be  dates,  or  any  sweet  fruit,  yet  I  observed 
he  was  very  fond  of  eggs,  and  small  birds'  eggs  were  first 
brought  him,  which  he  devoured  with  great  avidity ;  but  he  did 
not  seem  to  know  how  to  manage  that  of  a  hen,  but  when  broke 
for  him  he  ate  it  with  the  same  avidity  as  the  others.  When 
he  was  hungry  he  would  eat  bread,  especially  with  honey  or 
sugar.  It  was  very  observable  that  a  bird,  whether  confined  in 
a  cage  near  him,  or  ftying  across  the  room,  engrossed  his  whole 
attention.  He  followed  it  with  his  eyes  wherever  it  went,  nor 
was  he,  at  this  time,  to  be  diverted  by  placing  biscuit  before 
him ;  and  it  was  obvious,  by  the  great  interest  he  seemed  to 
take  in  its  motions,  that  he  was  accustomed  to  watch  for  vic- 
tories over  it,  either  for  his  pleasure  or  hisfood.  Pie  seemed 
very  much  alarmed  at  the  approach  of  a  cat,  and  endeavoured 
to  hide  himself,  but  showed  no  symptom  of  preparing  for  any 
defence.  I  never  heard  he  had  any  voice  :  he  suffered  himself, 
not  without  some  difficulty,  to  be  handled  in  the  day,  when  he 
seemed  rather  inclined  to  sleep,  but  was  exceedingly  unquiet 
and  restless  so  soon  as  night  came,  and  always  endeavouring  his 
escape,  and  though  he  did  not  attempt  the  wire,  yet  with  his 
sharp  teeth  he  very  soon  mastered  the  wood  of  any  common 
bird-cage.  From  the  snout  to  the  tail  he  was  about  ten  inches 
long,  his  tail  five  and  a  quarter ;  near  an  inch  on  the  tip  of  it 
was  black."  The  ears  are  described  as  being  above  three 
inches  long,  covered  on  the  borders  with  soft  white  hair,  but 
bare  in  the  middle,  and  of  a  rose-colour.  They  were  about  an 
inch  and  a  half  broad,  and  the  cavities  within  were  very  large. 
It  was  very  difficult  however  to  measure  them,  for  he  was  ex- 
tremely impatient  of  having  his  ears  touched,  and  always  kept 
them  erect  except  when  terrified  by  a  cat.  The  pupil  of  the  eye 
was  large  and  black,  and  surrounded  by  a  deep  blue  iris.  He 
had  a  sly  and  wily  appearance ;  but  as  his  habits  are  not  gre- 
garious,  and  for  other  reasons,  Bruce  doubts  the  propriety 


Q-PADRUPEDS.  293 

0!  this  animal  being  regarded  as  the  Sapkan  of  the  Scriptures— 
an  opinion  advocated  both  by  Jewish  and  Arabian  writers.  The 
right-hand  figure  of  the  annexed  wood-cut  represents  the  fennec. 
In  Brace's  figure  the  ears  are  too  large. 

The  hyena  tribe  in  general  are  characterized  by  possessing 
three  false  molars  above  and  four  below,  all  conical,  blunt,  and 
singularly  large  ;  their  superior  carnivorous  tooth  has  a  small 
tubercle  witlun  and  in  front,  but  the  inferior  has  none,  and  pre- 
sents only  a  couple  of  strong  cutting  points :  with  these  power- 
ful weapons  they  can  crush  the  bones  of  the  largest  and  most 
obdurate  prey.  The  tongue  is  rough,  each  foot  has  four  toes, 
and  there  is  a  glandular  pouch  beneath  the  tail.  The  muscles 
of  the  neck  and  jaws  are  so  powerful  that  it  is  impossible  to 
wrest  any  thing  from  between  their  teeth  when  once  they  have 
firmly  seized  it ;  on  which  account,  among  the  Arabians,  the 
name  is  the  symbol  of  obstinacy. 

The  common  hyena,  that  is  to  say,  the  striped  species  ( H. 
vulgaris),  is  an  animal  fully  better  known  and  more  abundant  in 
Abyssinia  than  elsewhere.  "I  do  not  think,"  says  Mr.  Bruce, 
**  there  is  any  one  that  hath  hitherto  written  of  this  animal  who 
ever  saw  the  thousandth  part  of  them,  that  I  have.  They  were 
a  plague  in  Abyssinia  in  every  situation,  both  in  the  city  and  in 
the  field,  and  I  think  surpassed  the  sheep  in  number.  Gondar 
was  full  of  them  from  the  time  it  turned  dark  till  the  dawn  of 
day,  seeking  the  different  pieces  of  slaughtered  carcasses  which 
this  cruel  and  unclean  people  expose  in  the  streets  without 
burial,  and  who  firmly  believe  that  these  animals  are  Falasha 
from  the  neighbouring  mountains,  transformed  by  magic,  and 
come  down  to  eat  human  flesh  in  the  dark  in  safety.  Many  a 
time  in  the  night,  when  the  king  had  kept  me  late  in  the  palace, 
and  it  was  not  my  duty  to  lie  there,  in  going  across  the  square 
from  the  king's  house,  not  many  hundred  yards  distant,  I  have 
been  apprehensive  they  would  bite  me  in  the  leg.  They  grunted 
in  great  numbers  around  me,  though  I  was  surrounded  with 
several  armed  men,  who  seldom  passed  a  night  without  wound- 
ing or  slaughtering  some  of  them.  One  night  in  Maitsha,  being 
very  intent  on  observation,  I  heard  something  pass  behind  me 
towards  the  bed,  but  upon  looking  round  could  perceive  nothing. 
Having  finished  what  I  was  then  about,  I  went  out  of  my  tent, 
resolving  directly  to  return,  which  I  immediately  did,  when  I 
perceived  large  blue  eyes  glaring  at  me  in  the  dark.  I  called 
upon  my  servant  with  a  light,  and  there  was  the  hyena  stand- 
ing nigh  the  head  of  the  bed,  with  two  or  three  large  bunches 
of  candles  in  his  mouth.  To  have  fired  at  him  I  was  in  danger 
of  breaking  my  quadrant  or  other  furniture,  and  he  seemed,  by 
keeping  the  candles  steadily  in  his  mouth,  to  wish  for  no  other 
prov  at  that  time.  As  his  mouth  was  full,  and  he  had  no  claws 
Bb2 


294  ZOOLOGY. 

to  tear  with,  I  was  not  afraid  of  him,  bat  with  a  pike  struck  him 
as  near  the  heart  as  I  could  judge.  It  was  not  till  then  he 
showed  any  sign  of  fierceness ;  but,  upon  feeling  his  wound,"he 
let  drop  the  candles,  and  endeavoured  to  run  up  the  shaft  of  the 
spear  to  arrive  at  me  ;  so  that,  in  self-defence,  I  was  obliged  to 
draw  a  pistol  from  my  girdle  and  shoot  him ;  and  nearly  at  the 
same  time  my  servant  cleft  his  scull  with  a  battle-axe.  In  a 
word,  the  hyena  was  the  plague  of  our  lives,  the  terror  of  our 
night-walks,  the  destruction  of  our  mules  and  asses,  which 
above  all  others  are  his  favourite  food." 

Hyenas  generally  inhabit  caverns  and  other  rocky  places,  from 
whence  they  issue  under  cover  of  the  night  to  prowl  for  food. 
They  are  gregarious,  not  so  much  from  any  social  principle  as 
from  a  greediness  of  disposition  and  a  gluttonous  instinct,  which 
induce  many  to  assemble  even  over  a  scanty  and  insufficient 
prey.  They  are  said  to  devour  the  bodies  which  they  find  m 
cemeteries,  and  to  disinter  such  as  are  hastily  or  imperfectly  in- 
humed. There  seems,  indeed,  to  be  a  peculiar  gloominess  and 
malignity  of  disposition  in  the  aspect  of  the  hyena,  and  its  man- 
ners in  a  state  of  captivity  are  savage  and  untractable.  Like 
every  other  animal,  however,  it  is  perfectly  capable  of  being 
tamed.  A  contradictory  feature  has  been  observed  in  its  natu< 
ral  instincts.  About  Mount  Libanus,  Syria,  the  north  of  Asia, 
and  the  vicinity  of  Algiers,  the  hyenas,  according  to  Bruce,  live 
mostly  upon  large  succulent  bulbous  roots,  especially  those  of 
the  fntillaria,  &c. ;  and  he  informs  us  that  he  has  known  large 
patches  of  the  fields^  turned  up  by  them  in  their  search  for' 
onions  and  other  plants.  He  adds  that  these  were  chosen  with 
such  care,  that  after  having  been  peeled,  if  any  small  decayed 
spot  became  perceptible,  they  wTere  left  upon  the  ground.  In 
Abyssinia,  however,  and 'many  other  countries,  their  habits  are 
certainly  decidedly  carnivorous  ;•  yet  the  same  courage,  or  at 
"least  fierceness,  which  an  animal  diet  usually  produces  does  not 
so  obviously  manifest  itself  in  this  species.  In  Barbary,  accord- 
ing to  Bruce,  the  Moors  in  the 'daytime  seize  the  hyena  by  the 
ears  and  drag  him  along,  without  his  resenting  that  igno- 
minious treatment  otherwise  than  by  attempting  to  draw  him- 
self back ;  and  the  hunters,  when  his  cave  is,  large  enough  to 
give  them  entrance,  take  a  torch  in  their  hands,  and  advance 
straight  towards  him,  pretending  at  the  same  time  to  fascinate 
him  by  a  senseless  jargon.  The  creature  is  astounded  by  the 
noise  and  glare,  and  allowing  a  blanket  to  be  thrown  over  him, 
is  thus  dragged  out.  Bruce  locked  up  a  goat,  a  kid,  and  a  lamb 
all  day  with  a  Barbary  hyena  which  had -fasted,  and  he  found  the 
intended  victims  in  the  evening  alive  and  uninjured.  He  repeated 
the  experiment,  however,  on  another  occasion,  during  the  night, 
with  a  young  ass,  a  goat,  and  a  fox,  and  next  morning  he 
was  astonished  to  find  the  whole  of  them,  not  only  killed, 


QUADRUPEDS.  295 

but  actually  devoured,  with  the  exception  of  some  of  the  ass's 
bones  ! 

The  general  size  of  the  striped  hyetla  is  that  of  a  large  dog. 
Bruce  regarded  the  Abyssinian  species  as  distinct  from  those 
described  as  natives  of  other  parts  of  AJrica  ;  but  recent  observa- 
tion has  failed  to  confirm  that  impression  of  the  Scottish  travel- 
ler. This  species  was  known  to  the  ancients-,  and-^vvas  exhib- 
ited at  Rome  for  the  first  time  in  the  reign  of  Gordian.  One 
which  died  a  few  years  ago  in  Paris  was  of  an  irritable  and  dis- 
satisfied disposition,  and'  had  eaten  away  in  its  impatience  all 
the  toes  of  its  hind-legs. 

Of  species  more  nearly  allied  to  the  feline  tribes  our  present 
portion  of  Africa  presents  us  with  several  beautiful  examples. 
We  shall  speak,  in  the  first  place,  of  the  lynx  tribe.  These 
animals  are  chiefly  distinguished  from  the  cats  by  the  length 
of  their  fur,  the  comparative  shortness  of  their  tads,  and  by 
the  possession  of  a  pencil  or  tuft  of  hair  at  the  tips  of  their 
ears. 

The  caracal  (Felis  egracal),  commonlyealled  the  Barbary  lynx, 
is  about  the  height  of  a  fox,  but  much  stronger  and  more  fero- 
cious. It  has  been  known  to  attack  a  hound,  and  instantly  tear 
it  to  pieces.  Though  naturally  a  wild  and  savage  animal,  it  has 
been  trained  when  young  to  the  chase  of  various  small  quadru- 
peds, and  the  larger  kinds  of  birds.  The  colour  of  its  body  is 
of  a  uniform  wine-red,  without  spots;  the  ears  are  black  ex- 
ternally,* and  white  within  ;  a  spot  above  and  below  the  eye, 
the  circumference  of  the  mouth,  a  stripe  all  along  the  lower 
part  of  the  body,  and  the  inside  of  the  thighs,  are  white  ;  a  black 
line  passes  from  the  eye  to  the  nostril,  and  there  is  a  black  spot 
at  the  origin  of  the  whiskers.  This  species  occupies  a  con- 
siderable extent  of  country  throughout  the  warmer  latitudes  of 
the  Old  World.  It  is  found  in  almost  all  the  regions  inhabited 
by  the  lion,  and  has  been  said  to  follow  that  noble  creature  for 
the  purpose  of  feeding  on  the  remains  of  its  prey.  It  varies  con- 
siderably in  its  appearance,  like  most  animals  which  range  over 
a  wide  territory.  It  is  to  the  caracal  that  the  ancients  proba- 
bly .applied  the  name  of  lynx,  as  the  species  nowr  distinguished 
by  that  name  has  never  been  found  in  those  countries  of  which 
the  lynx  of  the  ancients  was  said  to  be  a  native.  Pliny  assigns 
Ethiopia  as  the  native  country  of  the  lynx,  and  according  to  Ovid 
(Metam.  lib.  xv.), 

"  Victa  racemifero  lyncas  dedit  India  Baccho." 

*  The  name  of  caracal  is  said  to  be  derived  from  the  Turkish  kara, 
black,  and  kalach,  ear.  The  Tersian  name  of  sriagoiish  is  believed  to 
have  the  same  signification, 


296  ZOOLOGY. 

The  caracal  is  evidently  the  animal  described  by  Dr.  Parsons 
from  a  live  specimen  in  the  Tower  in  1762  (Phd.  Trans.).  It 
was  sent  from  India  by  General  Clive  to  the  Duke  of  Cumber- 
land. 

The  species  described  by  Bruce  under  the  name  of  booted 
lynx,  and  which  was  for  some  time  regarded  as  a  mere  variety 
of  the  preceding,  is  now  considered  as  a  distinct  species, 
under  the  name  of  Felis  caligata  (Temminck).*  It  is  inter- 
mediate in  size  between  the  lynx  and  the  wild  cat,  and  is 
said  to  prey  much  on  guinea-fowl.  Its  tail  is  long  and  slender ; 
its  ears  long,  pointed,  and  externally  of  a  lively  red  colour,  with 
short  brown  tufts.  It  is  to  this  species  that  M.  Geoffroy  has 
erroneously  applied  the  title  of  Felis  chaus,  as  if  it  were  identical 
with  the  species  so  named  by  Guldenstaedt.  f  It  inhabits  both 
the  north  and  south  of  Africa,  and  occurs  likewise  in  the  south- 
ern parts  of  India.  It  is  abundant  both  in  Barbary  and  at  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope.  The  specimen  killed  by  Bruce  in  Abyssinia  ap- 
pears to  have  been  a  young  one.  M.  Geoffroy  procured  it  in  the 
adult  state  from  an  island  in  the  Nile.  In  its  general  manners 
it  rather  resembles  the  wild  cat  of  Europe  than  a  lynx.  It 
climbs  trees,  and  conceals  itself  among  crags  and  thickets. 

Another  species  of  lynx,  which  inhabits  the  banks  of  the  Nile 
as  far-  as  Nubia,  is  the  chaus  ( Felis  chaus  of  Guldenstaedt  and 
Temminck),  called  Kir-myschak  by  the  Tartar  nations.  It  is 
about  the  size  of  the  European  lynx.  The  legs  are  long,  the 
muzzle  veiy  blunt,  the  tail  one-third  of  the  length  of  the  head 
and  body,  the  ears  terminated  by  very  short  pencils,  and  a  black 
band  runs  from  the  anterior  margin  of  the  eye  towards  the 
muzzle.  The  prevailing  colour  is  a  yellowish  gray.  The  name 
of  chaus  was  originally  applied  by  Pliny  to  the  common  lynx, 
and  was  used  by  Guldenstaedt  in  reference  to  the  species  just 
noted.  M.  Geoffroy,  however,  transposed  the  title  by  mistake 
to  the  booted  lynx  (F.  caligata,  Temm.),  which  has  occasioned 
some  confusion  in  the  synonymy  of  the  species.  The  true 
chaus,  in  addition  to  the  localities  above  named,  inhabits 
swampy  and  wooded  districts  along  the  shores  of  the  Caspian 
Sea,  and  the  banks  of  the  streams  which  flow  into  that  great 
receptacle.  It  does  not,  however,  occur  on  the  Volga,  although 
common  in  many  parts  of  the  Persian  dominions.  It  hunts 
during  the  night,  preys  on  birds  and  small  quadrupeds,  some- 
times also  on  fish,  and  is  extremely  impatient  of  captivity,  and 
consequently  difficult  to  tame.  This  species  rarely  climbs  trees. 
Its  skin,  even  in  a  mutilated  condition,  is  extremely  rare  in 
collections  of  peltry  ;  and  the  only  perfect  specimen  which  has 
come  to  our  knowledge  is  that  in  the  museum  of  Frankfort. 

*  Monographies  de  Mammalogie;  p.  123. 
t  Nov.  Comm.  Petrop.  vol.  xx. 


QUADRUPEDS.  297 

Oi'  the  larger  feline  animals,  the  hunting-leopard,  or  chittah 
{Felis-  jubata),  a  species  of  great  beauty-  of  aspect,  and  well 
known  in  many  eastern  countries  as  a  useful  accessary  in  the 
chase,  has  been  recently  ascertained  to  inhabit  Nubia.  Its  head 
is  smaller,  and  its  general  proportions  more  slender  and  length- 
ened, than  those  of  most  feline  species  ;  and  its  claws,  though 
strong,  are  less  powerful,  h\  consequence  of  their  not  being  re- 
tractile, as  in  the  rest  of  the  cat  tribe.  But  the  most  remarkable 
fact  in  the  history  of  this  animal  is  the  vast  extent  of  its  geo- 
graphical ^distribution.  According  to  Thunberg,  it  is  common 
in  the  south  of  Africa — a  fact  confirmed  by  Lichtenstein,  who 
saw  the  chief- of  a  Horde  of  Caffres  clothed  in  its  beautiful  and 
sumptuous  skins  ;  and  Temminckhas  ascertained  its  existence 
along  the  western  shores  of  that  division  of  the  world.  It  is 
widely  spread  over  India  and  other  continental  countries  of  the 
Eafit,  and  the  forests  of  Sumatra  abound  with  hunting-tigers. 
Lastly — which  is  our  reason  for  its  introduction  here — several 
specimens  have  been  lately  transmitted  from  Nubia  by  Riippel 
to  the  Frankfort  museum.  The  species,  is  remarkable  for  its 
mildness  and  docility  in  the  domestic  state. 

Another  feline  animal  lately  ascertained  to  "inhabit  Nubia  is 
the  Felis  maniculata  of  Temminck,  which  that  naturalist  regards 
as  the  originbf  our  domestic  species.  Its  proportions  agree  with 
those  of  the  wild  cat  of  Britain  and  the  continent  of  Europe, 
but  it  is  smaller  by  about  one-third.  Its  tail,  also,  is  in  com- 
parison rather  longer  and  more  slender.  The  soles  of  the  feet 
and  the  posterior  portion  of  the  metatarsus  and  metacarpus  are 
quite  black.  .  The  nature  of  its  coat  and  the  distribution  of  its 
colours  resemble  those  of  the  female  wild  cat ;  but  the  general 
hue  is  still  that  yellowish  ash-colour  which  prevails  in  the  natu- 
ral tinting  of  so  many  of  the  quadrupeds  of  Northern  Africa. 
We  may  here  record  a  curious  observation,  that  almost  all  the 
animals  of  Egypt,  without  excepting  even  the  birds>  and  rep- 
tiles, are  characterized  by  what  may  be  called  a  local  tint.  ,The 
dogs,  so  abundant  in  that  country,  the  antelopes,  the  jerboas,  the 
meriones,  and  many  more  of  the  glires  or  gnawers  are  remark- 
able for  their  -general  uniformity  of  colourmg.  If  this  does  not 
arise  from  (which  it  can  scarcely  do),  it  is  at  least  in  keeping 
with,  the  vast  deserts  so  characteristic  of  African  countries.* 

The  opinion  generally  received,  and"  adopted  even  by  the 
greater  number  of  naturalists,  in  regard  to  tire  origin  of  the  do- 
mestic species,  which  we  find  a  half-reclaimed  captive  wherever 
man  is  in  any  measure  civilized  and  gregarious,  is  that  it  is  de- 
rived from  the  wild  cat  (Felis  cattis).  Yet  we  know  by  the 
experience  of  many  other  cases  that  the"  effect  of  domestication, 
and  of  the  superabundant  nourishment  which  usually  accom- 

*  See  Temmir.c-k's  <;  tonographies."  p  199,  noter 


298  ZOOLOGY. 

panies  that  state  of  bondage,  is  to  increase  the  dimensions  of 
whatever  animals  have  been  for  an  almost  immemorial  period 
subjected  to  such  influences.  All  our  other  domestic  creatures 
are  larger  than  their  original  races  ;  but  the  domestic  cat,  sup- 
posing it  to  have  sprufng  from  the  indigenous  woodland  species, 
appears  to  have  reversed  the  rule  ;  for  never,  even  in  its  most 
pampered  and  overgrown  condition,  does  it  in  any  way  equal 
the  powerful  dimensions  of  its  supposed  original.  The  tail  of 
the  domestic  variety  (or  species)  is  also  longer,  and  terminates 
in  a  sharpened  point ;  while  that  of  the  wild  eat,  besides  being 
comparatively  shorter,  is  nearly  of  equal  thickness  through- 
out its  entire  length,  and  appears  as  if  truncated  at  the  ex- 
tremity. 

When  we  seek  to  ascertain  the  origin  of  any  anciently  domesti- 
cated species,  the  mind  naturally  reverts  to  periods  of  antiquity, 
and  to  the  history  of  such  nations  as  are  characterized  by.  remote 
records.  It  was  from  within  the  sacred  precincts  of  the  tem- 
ples of  Isis,  and  under  the  reign  of  the  Pharaohs  or  Egyptian 
kings,  that  the  earliest  rays  of  science  dawned  upon  the  nations ; 
and  there  the  heroic  Greeks  "  drew  golden  light,"  and  from 
thence  were  distributed,  by  more  or  less  direct  gradations,  the 
knowledge  and  civilization  which,  long  waning  with  a  feeble 
and  uncertain  gleam  from  their  parent  source,  have  burned  with 
a  steady  and  unconsuming  fire  in  those  "  barbarian  lands"  to 
which  they  were  conveyed.  Egypt,  so  remarkable  in  the  early 
civilization  of  the  human  race,  might  be  reasonably  supposed, 
even  a  priori,  to  have  furnished  the  primitive  families  of  mankind 
with  one  or  more  of  its  domesticated  animals  ;  and,  in  relation 
more  particularly  to  the  present  subject,  we  know  that  of  all 
the  ancient  nations  of  whom  we  possess  records,  the  Egyptians 
were  the  most  noted  for  their  appreciation  of  the  useful  quali- 
ties of  the  cat.  We  also  know  that  it  was  even  embalmed  in 
their  temples,  in  common  with  the  mystical  body  of  the  ibis, 
and  we  doubt  not  it  must  have  become  familiar  to  them  from  its 
beneficial  qualities  as  a  domestic  species.  That  they  derived  it 
from  an  indigenous  source  is  more  than  probable,  especially  as 
a  wild  Egyptian  species,  of  all  others,  bears  the  closest  resem- 
blance to  the  domestic  breeds.  At  all  events,  it  could  scarcely 
be  drawn  from  the  European  wild  cat ;  for  although  that  species 
is  most  extensively  disseminated  over  all  the  wooded  countries 
of  Europe,  and  spreads  through  Russia  into  Siberia,  and  over  a 
great  range  of  Asiatic  territory,  it  is  unknown  on  the  banks  of 
the  Nile,  and  seems  to  hold  its  centre  of  dominion  rather  in  the 
temperate  than  the  warmer  regions  of  the  earth.  Another  argu- 
ment against  the  derivation  of  our  domestic  cats  from  the  indi- 
genous woodland  species  may  be  drawn  from  the  extreme 
scarcity  of  the  former  in  the  early  ages  of  our  history.  It  is 
known  that  in  the  time  of  Hoel  the  Good,  King  of  Wales,  who 


QUADRUPEDS.  2\)9 

died  in  the  year  948,  laws  were  enacted  to  preserve  and  estab- 
lish the  price  of  cats  and  other  animals  remarkable  for  being 
alike  rare  and  useful.  The  price  of  a  kitten  before  it  could  see 
was  fixed  at  one  penny ;  till  proof  could  be  given  of  its  having 
caught  a  mouse,  twopence  ;  after  which  it  was  rated  at  four- 
pence — a  great  sum  in  those  days,  when  the  value  of  specie  was 
extremely  high.  It  was  further  declared,  that  if  any  one  stole 
or  slew  the  cat  that  guarded  the  prince's  granary,  he  was  either 
to  forfeit  a  milk  ewe,  her  fleece  and  lamb,  or  as  much  wheat  as 
when  poured  on  the  cat  suspended  by  the  -tail  (its  head  touch- 
ing the  floor)  would  form  a  heap  high  enough  to  cover  it  to  the 
tip.  Now  all  these  precautionary  regulations  would  seem  to 
indicate  that  our  domestic  cat  severe  not  originally  natives  of 
our  island,  but  were  introducecfllom  some  of  the  warmer  coun- 
tries of  the  East,  and  required  for  a  time  considerable  care  and 
attention  to  preserve  the  breed.  This  would  scarcely  have  been 
necessary  had  the  original  stock  been  found  prowling  in  every 
thicket  and  corrie  of  the  country,  which  the  wild  cat  undoubtedly 
was  in  those  distant  days. 

M.  Temminckis  decidedly  in  favour  of  the  claims  of  a  species 
already  mentioned,  called  the  gloved  cat  (Felis  maniculata),  which 
iuhabits  Northern  Africa,  and  was  first  found  in  Nubia  by  the 
traveller  Riippel,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Ambakol.  Skins  of  a 
species  which  seems  identical  are  sometimes  observed  in  sup- 
plies of  these  articles  from  the  Levant,  and  the  same  animal 
occurs  in  Egypt.  It  would  be  highly  interesting  to  compare 
the  osteology  of  a  recent  example  with  the  structure  of- the 
skeleton  of  an  embalmed  specimen  from  the  catacombs  of 
Memphis. 

Several  other  feline  animals  inhabit  Abyssinia,  of.  which  we 
shall  merely  mention  the  lion,  as  an  occasional  dweller  in  the 
sandy  districts  bordering  on  the  Tacazze.  The  killing  of  one 
of  these  animals,  according  to  Mr.' Salt,  confers  high  honour 
upon  a  chief,  and  gives  him  the  privilege  of  wearing  its  paw 
upon  his  shield.  Some  analogous  custom  no  doubt  gave  rise 
among  the  European  nations  to  the  idea  of  quartering  heraldic 
arms.  Its  skin  is  afterward  formed  into  a  dress  resembling  that 
worn  by  the  Caffre  chiefs  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Cape,  but  more 
richly  ornamented.  ^ 

The  ancients  represented  in  their  sculptures  a  lion  without  a 
mane,  which  some  modern  writers  regard  as  an  extinct,  while 
others  view  it  as  a  fictitious,  species.  We  have  mentioned  on 
a  former  occasion  its  occurrence  on  the  hieroglyphical  monu- 
ments of  Upper  Egypt ;  and  a  singular  confirmation  of  its  exist- 
ence has  been  received  of  late  years  from  Nubia,  where  it  is 
alleged  a  very  large  and  maneless  lion  has  been  recently  dis- 
covered. 


3(J0  ZOOLOGY'. 

Among  the-  Rodentia,  the  foremost  place  in  our  systematic 
arrangements  is  usually  assigned  to  the  squirrels,  of  which 
genus  we  may  notice,  as  an  Abyssinian  representative,  the 
Sciurus  rut il us  of  RiippeL( Atlas,  Taf.  24).  Including  the  tail,  it 
measures  above  a  ootin  length.  The  colour  of  the  upper  parts 
is  of  a  shining  red,  of  the  under,  white.  The  tail  is  distichous-, 
the  ears  are  short  and  rounded. 

Several  murine  species  occur  both  in  Nubia  and  Abyssinia, 
We  shall  pass  over  these  diminutive  creatures,  for  the  sake  of 
the  beautiful  jerboa,  which  occurs  in  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  African  continent.  The  genus  Jerboa  (Dipus,  or  two-legged, 
so-called  from  the  erroneous  notion  that  these  animals,  in  Walk- 
ing, make  use  of  their iiinder^axtremities  only)  is  composed  of 
several  species,  one  of  winch  jjjjpbundant  in  Barbary,  in  Upper 


and  Lower  Egypt,  and  Syria,  and  likewise  makes  its  appearance 
again  in  more  northern  countries  .situated  between  the  Tanais 
and  the  Volga.-  The  tail  of  the  jerboa  "usually  exceeds  inlength 
that  of  the  body.  It  is  covered' with  smooth  short. hair,  except 
at  the  extremity,  where  there  is  a  long  silky  tuft.  Though  this 
organ  appeal's-,  from  the  experiments  of  M?  Lepechin,  to  be  of 
great  use  in  locomotion,  it  is  not  by  any  means  thick  and  mus- 
cular, as  among  the  kangaroos.  The  jerboa  usually  walks  on 
all  fours  ;  but  when  alarmed,  it  seeks  its  safety  by  prodigious 
bounds,  which  it  executes  with  great  force  and  rapidity.  When 
about  to  leap,  it  raises  its  body  by  means  of  the  hinder  extremi- 
ties, .and  supports  itself  at  the  same  time  upon  its  taiL  Mean- 
while the  fore  feet  are  so  closely  pressed  to  the  breast,  as  to  be 
scarcely  visible.  Hence  probably  4ts  ancient  name  of  two- 
footed  mouse.-  It  then  springs-  into  the  air,  and  alights  upon  its 
four  feet ;  but  erecting  itseif  again  almost .  instantaneously,  it 
makes  another  spring,  and  so  on  in  succession,  and  with  such 
rapidity  as  to  appear  constantly  either  in  an  erect  or  a  flying 
position.  -  Thexruel  experiments  above  alluded  to  consisted  in 
maiming  or  cutting  off  the  tails  of  these  poor  creatures.  In  pro- 
portion as  that  organ  yvas  reduced  in  length,  their  power  of  leap- 
ing diminished  ;  and  when  it  was  entirely  lopped  off,  they  not 
only  could  not  run  at  ad,  but  fell  backwards  whenever  they 
attempted  to  raise  themselves  with  a  view  to  their  accustomed 
spring. 

"The  jerboa,"  says  Bruce,  "  is  a  small  lrarmless  animal  of  the 
desert,  nearly  the  size  of  a  common  rat — the. skin  very  smooth, 
and  the  ends  of  the  hairs  tipped  with  black.  It  lives  in  the 
smoothest  plains  or-  places  of  the  desert,  especially  where  the 
soil  is  fixed  gravel,  for  in  that  chiefly  it  burrows,  dividing  its 
hole  below  into  many  mansions.  It  seems  to  be  apprehensive 
of  the  falling  in  of  the  ground  ;  it  therefore  generally  digs  its 
hole  under  the  root  of  some  spurge,  thyme,  or  absinthium,  upon 


QUADRUPEDS.  301 

whose  root  it  seems  to  depend  for  its  roof  not  falling  in  and  bury- 
ing it  in  the  ruins  of  its  subterraneous  habitation.  It  seems  to 
delight  most  in  those  places  that  are  haunted  by  the  cerastes,  or 
horned  viper.  Nature  has  certainly  imposed  this  dangerous 
neighbourhood  upon  the  one,  for  the  good  and  advantage  of  the 
other,  and  that  of  mankind  in  general.  Of  the  many  trials  I 
made,  I  never  found  a  jerboa  in  the  body  of  a  viper,  excepting 
once,  in  that  of  a  female  big  with  young,  and  the  jerboa  itself 
was  then  nearly  consumed."*  This  animal  may  be  used  as 
food.  In  taste  it  is  scarcely  distinguishable  from  a  young 
rabbit.  The  ancients  described  it  at  an  early  period,  and  it  is 
represented  in  some  of  the  first  medals  of  the  Cyrenaicum, 
Bitting  under  an  umbellated  plant,  supposed  to  be  the  silphium, 
the  figure  of  which  is  likewise  preserved  oTUhe  silver  medals 
of  Cyrene.  Bruce  informs  us  that  he  never  saw  a  rabbit  in  Abys- 
sinia, but  that  there  is  an  abundance  of  hares. 

Abyssinia  produces  several  remarkable  animals  of  the  pachy* 
dennHtous.  order,  among  which  we  rank  the  Ethiopian  hog 
{Phascocharus  of  F.  Cuvier).  This  extraordinary  genus  con- 
tains at  least  two  species,  frequently  confounded  together,  under 
the  names  of  Stis  Af'ricanus  and  Sus  JEthiopicus,  specific  titles 
by  no  means  happily  chosen,  in  as  far  as  both  are  natives  of  the 
African  continent, 'and  that  called  Ethiopian,  par  excellence,  in- 
habits more  particularly  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  The  imper- 
fection of  this  nomenclature,  it  has  been  remarked,  is  certainly 
the  chief  cause  of  the  confusion  which  has  long  reigned  in  the 
history  of  these  animals.  The  most  remarkable  distinction 
between  the  two  species  just  named  consists  in  the  former  being 
provided  with  incisive  teeth,  which  are  wanting  in  the  latter.- 
For  this  reason  the  one  is  named  Ph.  incgsitms,  the  other  Ph. 
ah:, i  tat  us,  by  M.  F.  Cuvier.  f  These  animals,  though  gentle, 
livery,  and  easily  tamed  when  taken  young,  are  of  a  peculiarly 
ferocious  disposition  after  attaining  to  the  adult  condition  in  the 
?>tate  of  nature.  Yet  their  mode  of  dentition  shows  that  they 
are  naturally  much  less  omnivorous  than  the  wild  boar,  and  we 
know,  in  fact,  that  their  food  consists  entirely  of  roots  and  other 
vegetable  produce.  Their  sight  is  said  to  be  defective,  owing 
to  the  peculiar  position  of  their  eyes,.but  their  hearing  is  good, 
and  their  sense  t)f  smell  exquisitely  delicate. 

The  wild  boar  in  these  parts  of  Africa  is  smaller  and  smoother 
than  that  of  Europe  or  of  Barbary.  It  inhabits  swamps  and  the 
wooded  banks  of  rivers.    This  animal  is  accounted  unclean  in 

*  Travels,  vol.  v.  p.  101. 

t  The  hindmost  or  lett-hand*  figure  of  the  wood-cut  at  p.  391  of  this 
volume  represents  the  head  and  fore-quarters  of  the  species  figured  by 
Ruppel,  under  the  name  o(Ph.  JBiamL—  Atlas,  Taf.  06.  It  was  observed 
in  Kordofdn. 

Cc 


302  ZOOLOGY. 

Abyssinia,  both  by  Mohammedans  and  Christians  ;  and  that  it 
ha/*  not  multiplied  greatly,  in  consequence  of  being  neglected  by 
the  hunters,  is  probably  owing  to  its  young  being  devoured  by 
hyenas. 

That  huge  animal  the  hippopotamus  is  well  known  in  Abys- 
sinia. Mr.  Salt  had  no  sooner  reached  the  banks  of  the  Ta- 
cazze,  a  tributary  to  the  Nile,  than  his  attention  was  excited  by 
the  cry  of  his  attendants,  of"  Gomari !  gomari !"  the  Abyssinian 
title  for  the  hippopotamus.  At  that  time,  however,  he  only 
obtained  a  momentary  glance,  during  which  he  could  merely 
observe  that  its  action  resembled  the  rolling  of  a  grampus  in 
the  sea.  Between  the  different  fords  of  the  river,  which,  at  the 
place  alluded  to,  might  be  about  fifty  yards  across,  there  are 
pools  of  almost  immeasurable  depth,  resembling  the  mountain 
tarns  of  the  north  of  England ;  and  it  is  in  these  pools  that  the 
amphibious  giant  loves  to  dwell.  Being  desirous  to  attack  it, 
Mr.  Salt  and  his  party  stationed  themselves  on  a  high  overhang- 
ing rock  which  commanded  one  of  the  favourite  pools,  and  they 
had  not  remained  long  before  a  hippopotamus  rose  to  the  sur- 
face, at  a  distance  of  not  more  than  twenty  yards.  He  came  up 
at  first  very  confidently,  raising  his  enormous  head  out  of  the 
water,  and  snorting  violently.  At  the  same  instant  their  guns 
were  discharged,  the  contents  of  which  appeared  to  strike 
directly  on  its  forehead ;  on  which  it  turned  round  its  head  with 
an  angry  scowl,  and  making  a  sudden  plunge,  sank  to  the 
bottom,  with  a  peculiar  noise,  between  a  grunt  and  a  roar. 
They  for  some  minutes  entertained  a  sanguine  hope  that  he 
was  killed,  and  momentarily  expected  to  see  his  body  ascend 
to  the  surface.  But  it  soon  appeared  that  a  hippopotamus  is  not 
so  easily  slain  ;  for  he  rose  again,  ere  long,  close  to  the  same 
spot,  and  apparently  not  much  concerned  at  what  had  happened, 
though  somewhat  more  cautious  than  before.  They  again  dis- 
charged their  pieces,  but  with  as  little  effect  as  formerly ;  and 
although  some  of  the  party  continued  firing  at  every  one  that 
made  his  appearance,  they  were  by  no  means  certain  that  they 
produced  the  slightest  impression  upon  any  of  them.  This  they 
attributed  to  their  having  used  leaden  balls,  which  are  too  soft 
to  enter  his  almost  impenetrable  scull. 

It  appears  from  what  they  witnessed  that  the  hippopotamus 
cannot  remain  more  than  five  or  six  minutes  at  a  time  under 
water.  One  of  the  most  interesting  parts  of  the  amusement 
was  to  witness  the  perfect  ease  with  which  these  animals  quietly 
dropped  down  to  the  bottom ;  for  the  water,  being  exceedingly 
clear,  they  could  distinctly  see  them  so  low  as  twenty  feet  be- 
neath the  surface.* 

The  elephant,  rhinoceros,  and  giraffe,  or  camelopard,  all  dis- 

*  Salt's  Voyage  to  Abyssinia,  p.  354. 


QUADRUPEDS.  303 

tinguished  for  their  great  dimensions  and  imposing  aspect,  like- 
wise inhabit  the  low  hot  countries  of'Abyssinia.  It  has  fceen 
noted  as  remarkable,  that  such  common  animals  as  the  former 
two  should  have  escaped  the  description  of  the  sacred  writers. 
Moses  and  the  children  of  Israel,  when  sojourning  either  in 
Egypt  or  Arabia,  were  long  in  the  vicinity  of  countries  which 
produced  them  ;  and  when  we  take  into  consideration  the  close 
connexion  maintained  by  Solomon  with  the  south-east  coast 
of  the  Red  Sea,  it  seems  almost  impossible  that  he  should  not 
have  been  acquainted  with  them,  especially  as  both  his  father 
David  and  himself  used  abundance  of  ivory.  Some,  however, 
take  the  behemoth  of  the  Scriptures  to  be  the  elephant,  while  the 
reem  is  regarded  as  identical  with  the  species  now  designated 
under  the  name  of  rhinoceros. 

The  Abyssinian  hunters  of  the  last-named  animal  are  called 
agageer,  from  agaro,  to  kill,  by  cutting  the  hams,  or  the  tendon 
of  Achilles,  with  a  sword.  The  eyes  of  the  rhinoceros  are  ex- 
tremely small ;  and  as  his  neck  is  stiff,  and  his  head  cumbrous, 
he  seldom  turns  round  so  as  to  see  any  thing  that  is  not  directly 
before  him.  To  this,  according  to  Bruce,  he  owes  his  death,  as 
he  never  escapes  if  there  is  as  much  plain  ground  as  to  enable 
a  horse  to  get  in  advance.  His  pride  and  fury  then  induce  him 
to  lay  aside  all  thoughts  of  escaping  but  by  victory.  He  stands 
for  a  moment  at  bay,  then  starting  forward,  he  suddenly  charges 
the  horse,  after  the  manner  of  the  wild  boar,  which  animal  he 
greatly  resembles  in  his  mode  of  action.  But  the  horse  easily 
avoids  his  ponderous  onset,  by  turning  short  aside,  and  this  is 
the  fatal  instant ;  for  a  naked  man  armed  with  a  sharp  sword 
drops  from  behind  the  principal  hunter,  and,  unperceived  by  the 
rhinoceros,  who  is  seeking  to  wreak  his  vengeance  on  his 
enemy,  he  inflicts  a  tremendous  blow  across  the  tendon  of  the 
heel,  which  renders  him  incapable  of  either  flight  or  resistance. 
In  speaking  of  the  large  allowance  of  vegetable  matter  neces- 
sary to  support  this  enormous  living  mass,  we  should  likewise 
take  into  consideration  the  vast  quantity  of  water  which  it  con- 
sumes. No  country,  according  to  Bruce,  but  such  as  that  of 
the  Shangalla,  deluged  with  six  months'  rain,  full  of  large  and 
deep  basins  hewn  by  nature  in  the  living  rock,  which  are  shaded 
by  dark  woods  from  evaporation,  or  one  watered  by  extensive 
rivers  which  never  fall  low  or  to  a  state  of  dryness,  can  supply 
the  vast  draughts  of  its  enormous  maw.  As  an  article  of  food, 
he  is  himself  much  esteemed  by  the  Shangalla ;  and  the  soles 
of  his  feet,  which  are  soft  like  those  of  a  camel,  and  of  a  gristly 
substance,  are  peculiarly  delicate.  The  rest  of  the  body  resem- 
bles that  of  the  hog,  but  is  coarser,  and  is  pervaded  by  a  smell  of 
musk.* 

*  Mr,  Salt  is  of  opinion  that  the  figure  of  the  African  rhinoeeros  given 


304  ZOOLOGY, 

Of  equine  animals,  the  zebra  rx  zecora  occurs  chiefly  in  the 
southern  provinces  of  Abyssinia.  Its  mane  is  much  used  for 
making  a  particular  kind  of  collar,  which  on  state-days  is  fixed 
as  an  ornament  round  the  necks  of  the  war-horses  belonging  to 
the  chiefs.  This  privilege,  however,  seems  to  be  confined  to 
a  few  of  the  principal  men.  The  wild  ass  (probably  the  quaggy) 
is  said  to  occur  in  the  same  districts  as  the  zebra.  In  regard  to 
the  giraffe  of  Nubia  and  Abyssinia,  we  shall  mention,  in  the  first 
place,  that  from  some  difference  in  the  spots  and  in  the  curva- 
ture of  the  cranium  of  the  few  individuals  hitherto  brought,  to 
Europe,  M.  Geoffroy  St.  Hilaire  is  of  opinion  that  jt  is  not  of 
the  same  species  as  that  from  the  southern  portions  of  the 
African  continent.  It  is  an- animal  of  a  shy  nature,  and  rarely 
to  be  met  with,  in  consequence  of  its  frequenting  chiefly  the  in- 
terior districts  uninhabited  by  the  human  race.  Its  skin  forms 
an  article  of  barter  in  some  of  the  provinces ;  and  an  ornament 
made  of  the  hair  plucked  from  the  tail  is  commonly  fastened 
to  the  butt-end  of  the  whips  used  by  the  inhabitants  for  the  pur 
pose  of  brushing  away  flies,  which  are  exceedingly  troublesome 
during  the  hot  season.  These  whips,  Mr.  Salt  informs  us,  are 
themselves  formed  from  the  skin  of  the  hippopotamus,  and  are 
called  "hallinga." 

Of  the  antelope  tribe,  which  is  numerously  represented  m 
these  parts  of  Africa,  the  only  example  we  shall  here  name  is 
the  Nubian  species  called  Addax  byM.  Lichtenstein  (.4c/.  Acad, 
Berlin,  1824,  pi.  xi.)  Its  horns  are' long  and  slender,  and  form 
three  curves.  It  is  represented  on  several  of  the  ancient  monu- 
ments of  Egypt.* 

We  shall  terminate  these  brief  notices  of  mammalia  by  giv- 
ing in  a  note  below  a  list  of  the  species  described  and  figured 
by  M.  Riippel  in  the  atlas  to  his  Reise  im  Nordlicheh  Afrika.-\ 

by  Bruce  must  have  been  copied  from  the  one-horned  species  of  BufTbn, 
with  the  addition  of  the  second  horn,  as  the  two-horned  rhinoceros 
wants  the  folds  in  the  skin,  which  are  nevertheless  given  by  the  Abys- 
sinian traveller. 

See  the  central  figure  of  the  wood-cut  at  page  291. 


t  Felis  maniculata 
Canis  zerda 
Antilope  montana 
Felis  chaus 
Canis  famelicus 
Vespertilio  Ternminclsii 
Antilope  Addax 
Camelopardalis  girafia 
Canis  variegai  us 
C.  pallidus 
O.  pictus 
Mas  dimidiatus 
M.  Cahirinus 


Antilope  dama 
Canis  Niloticus 
C.  anthus 

Rhinolophus  divosus 
Antilope  Ssmtuerliinjri 
Lepus  Isabellinus 
Antilope  Saltiana 
Psammomys  obesns 
Sciurus  rutilans 
P.hascochaerus  iEliani 
Dysopes  pumilns 
Taphozous  nudiventris 
Nyctecejus  ltHcngaster 


BIRDS.  305 

The  feathered  race,  especially  birds  of  prey,  are  very  numer- 
ous in  Abyssinia.  In  the  gigantic  carcasses  of  slaughtered  ele- 
phants and  other  large  quadrupeds,  of  which  only  small  portions 
are  consumed  by  the  hunters,  they  find  a  frequent  supply  of  food. 
Vast  quantities  of  field-r?  is  and  mice  make  their  appearance 
after  harvest,  and  swarm  in  every  crack  and  fissure,  and  are 
greedily  devoured  by  hawks  and  kites.  These  and  other  causes, 
combined  with  "  the  number  of  men  that  perish  by  disease  and 
by  the  sword,  whose  carcasses  are  never  buried  by  this  bar- 
barous and  unclean  people,  compose  such  a  quantity  and  variety 
of  carrion  that  it  brings  together  at  one  time  a  multitude  of  birds 
of  prey ;  it  would  seem  there  was  not  such  a  number  in  the 
whole  earth."* 

The  Abyssinians  entertain  a  singular  superstition  regarding 
a  species  of  hawk,  designated  by  Mr.  Salt  under  the  name  of 
white-breasted  lanner.  When  they  set  out  on  a  journey  and 
meet  with  one  of  these  birds,  they  watch  it  very  carefully,  for 
the  purpose  of  drawing  good  or  bad  omens  from  its  motions. 
If  it  sit  still  with  its  breast  towards  them  until  they  have  passed, 
this  is  regarde'd  as  a  peculiarly  good  sign,  and  every  thing  is 
expected  to  go  on  well  during  the  course  of  the  journey.  If  its 
back  be  turned  towards  them,  it  is  considered  an  unpropitious 
sign,  but  not  sufficiently  so  to  create  any  very  great  or  imme- 
diate alarm  ;  but  if  it  should  fly  hastily  away  on  their  approach, 
some  of  the  most  superstitious  among  them  immediately  return 
back  to  their  homes,  and  wait  till  a  more  favourable  opportunity 
for  commencing  their  expedition  occurs.  From  this  circum- 
stance, as  well  as  from  the  resemblance  of  its  form  to  the  sculp- 
tured hieroglyphics  of  Egypt,  Mr.  Salt  was  led  to  the  belief  that 
this  species  was  probably  the  sacred  hawk  once  held  in  such 
veneration  by  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  that  country. 

The  bird  described  by  Bruce  under  the  name  of  Abou  Duck'n, 
or  Father  Long  Beard,  appears  to  be  identical  with  the  Vultur  bar- 
batus,  or  lammergeyer  of  the  Swiss  Alps.  On  the  highest  sum- 
mit of  the  mountain  Lamalmon,  while  the  traveller's  servants 


Vespertilio  leucomelas  Mus  Orientals 

V.  marginatus  Meriones  Gerbillus, 

Meriones  robustus 
It  is  briefly  reported  in  the  foreign  journals  that  M.  Riippel  has  dis- 
covered, during  the  second  journey  in  which  he  is  still  engaged,  a  speciea 
of  Dugong,  which  is  found  in  the  Red  Sea,  and  differs  in  a  remarkable 
degree  from  the  only  species  hitherto  known,  which  is  an  inhabitant 
of  the  Indian  Ocean.  It  was  with  the  skin  of  this  species  that  the  Jews 
of  old  were  by  the  Mosaic  law  compelled  to  veil  the  tabernacle.  On  this 
account  M.  Riippel  has  bestowed  upon  it  the  name  of  Halicoret abernacu- 
lus.—Athenaum,  No.  261,  p.  TOO. 


•  Bruce,  vol.  v.  p.  150. 


Cc2 


306  ZOOLOGY, 

were  refreshing  themselves  after  the  fatigue  of  a  toilsome  ascent, 
and  enjoying  the  pleasures  of  a  delightful  climate  and  a  good 
dinner  of  boiled  goat's  flesh,  a  lammergeyer  suddenly  made  his 
appearance  among  them.  A  great  shout,  or  rather  cry  of  dis- 
tress, attracted  Bruce's  attention,  who,  while  walking  towards 
the  bird,  saw  it  deliberately  put  its  foot  into  the  pan,  which 
contained  a  huge  piece  of  meat  prepared  for  boiling.  Finding 
the  temperature  somewhat  higher  than  it  was  accustomed  to 
among  the  pure  gushing  springs  of  that  romantic  region,  it  sud- 
denly withdrew  its  foot,  but  immediately  afterward  settled  upon 
two  large  pieces  which  lay  upon  a  wooden  platter,  into  which 
it  trussed  its  claws  and  carried  them  oft'.  It  disappeared  over 
the  edge  of  a  "  steep  Tarpeian  rock,"  down  which  criminals 
were  thrown,  and  whose  mangled  remains  had  probably  first 
induced  the  bird  to  select  that  spot  as  a  place  of  soiourn.  The 
traveller,  in  expectation  of  another  visit,  immediately  loaded  his 
rifle,  and  it  was  not  long  before  the  gigantic  bird  reappeared. 

As  when  a  vulture  on  Imaus  bred, 

Whose  snowy  ridge  the  roving  Tartar  bounds, 

Dislodging  from  a  region  scarce  of  pre}-, 

To  gorge  the  flesh  of  lambs  or  yeanling  kids 

On  hills  where  flocks  are  fed,  flies  towards  the  springe 

Of  Ganges  or  Ilydaspes,  Indian  streams-; 

But  in  his  way  lights  on  the  barren  plains 

Of  Sericana,  where  Chineses  drive 

With  sails  and  wind  their  cany  wagons  light ; 

so  landed  the  lammergeyer  within  ten  yards'  of  the  savoury 
mess,  but  also  within  an  equal  distance  of  Bruce's  practised 
rifle.  He  instantly  sent  his  ball  through  its  body,  and  the  pon- 
derous bird  sank  down  upon  the  grass  with  scarcely  a  flutter 
of  its  outspread  wings.  We  have  elsewhere  noticed  the  great 
geographical  range  of  this  species.* 

The  species  described  by  Bruce  under  the  name  of  rachamak 
is  the  Vultur  percnoplerus  of  I Jnnaeus,  known  in  Egypt  by  the 
title  of  Pharaoh's  bird.  It  is  well  known  as  a  scavenger  in  most 
Eastern  countries,  and  is  found  sculptured  on  the  monuments 
of  Egyptian  art.  Even  at  the  present  day  it  is  exempted  from 
injury,  and  pious  Mussulmans  sometimes  bequeath  sums  of 
money  for  its  maintenance  in  a  state  of  comfortable  captivity. 
It  is  believed  that  the  Vultur  Kolbii  of  Riippel  is  the  yearling 
male  of  this  species. 

There  are  few  owls  in  Abyssinia  ;  but  one  or  two  of  the  spe- 
cies are  of  large  size  and  great  beauty.  Bruce  never  saw  either 
sparrow  or  magpie  in  the  country,  although  we  know  that  the 
natural  distribution  of  both  these  species  is  elsewhere  widely 

*  Family  Library,  No  XLIX  .  (India,  vol.  ih.) 


BIRDS.  307 

extended.  Pigeons  are  numerous  and  of  various  kinds,  all  ex- 
cellent as  articles  of  food.  They  are  chiefly  birds  of  passage, 
except  one  which  dwells  in  the  eaves  of  houses  and  in  the  holes 
of  walls.  This  species  is  not  eaten,  from  an  absurd  notion  that 
because  its  claws  are  large,  it  partakes  of  the  nature  of  a  hawk, 
and  is  therefore  unclean.  This  is  a  parallel  to  the  Turkish 
idea,  that  because  a  turkey  has  a  bunch  of  bristles  on  its  breast 
it  is  allied  to  the  hog. 

The  African  hornbill  (Buceros  Africamis)  is  entirely  black ; 
and  nearly  as  large  as  a  turkey.  The  Abyssinian  species  (B, 
Abyssinicus)  appears  to  have  been  first  distinctly  described  by 
Bruce,  who  informs  us  that  in  the  eastern  parts  of  the  country  it 
is  known  under  the  name  of  abba  gumba.  In  Sennaar  it  is  called 
Teir  el  JVaciba,  or  the  bird  of  destiny.  Its  prevailing  colour  is  a 
sooty  black,  but  the  ten  larger  feathers  of  the  wings  are  of  a 
milk-white  colour,  both  without  and  within.  The  tip  of  the 
wings  reach  nearly  to  the  tail..  The  beak  and  head  meas- 
ure together  eleven  inches  and  a  half.  <The  male  has  pro- 
tuberances on  his  neck  like  those  of  a  turkey  ;  they  are  gene- 
rally of  a  light -blue  colour,  but  turn  red  when' the  bird  is  chafed, 
or  when  his  hen  is  laying.  He  has  very  large  eyelashes,  espe- 
cially the  upper.  From  the  point  of  the  bill  to  the  extremity 
of  the  tail  this  species  measures  three  feet  ten  inches  ;  and  the 
wings,  when  stretched,  extend  six~feet.  Bruce  observed  it,  fol- 
lowed by  eighteen  young  ones.  It  runs  along  the  ground  more 
willingly  than  it  flies  ;  but.  when  once  raised,  it  flies  both  strong 
and  far.  It  has  a  rank  smell,  and  is  asserted  in  Abyssinia  to 
live  on  dead  carcasses.  -This,  however,,  has  been  doubted.  "  I 
never,"  says  Mr.  Bruce,  "saw  it  approach  any  of  these;  and 
what  convinces  me  this  is  untrue  is,  that  I  never  saw  one  of 
them  follow  the  army,  where  there  was  always  a  general  assem- 
bly of  all  the  birds  of  prey  in  Abyssinia.  It  was  very  easy  to 
see  what  was  it's  food  by  its  place  of  rendezvous,  which  was  in 
the  fields  of  teff,  upon  the  tops  of  which  are  always  a  number 
of  green  beetles  :  these  he  strips  off  by  drawing  the  stalk  through 
his  beak,  so  that  it  appears  to  be  serrated;  and  often  as  I  had 
occasion  to  open  this  bird,  I  never  found  any  thing  in  him  but 
the  green  scarabaeus  or  beetle.  He  has  a  putrid  or  stinking 
smell,  which,  I  suppose,  is  the  reason  he  has  been  imagined  to 
feed  on  carrion:  He  builds  in  large  thick  trees,  always,  if  he 
can,  near  churches— has  a  covered  nest,  like  that  of  a  magpie, 
but  four  times  as  large  as  an  eagle's  :  it  places  its  nest  firm 
upon  the  trunk,  without  endeavouring  to  make  it  high  from  the 
ground  ;  the  entry  is  always  from  the  east  side." 

Although  parrots  are  by  no  means  numerous,  they  are  not 
altogether  uuknown  in  Abyssinia.     A  small  species  is  described 


308  ZOOLOGY. 

in  the  Appendix  to  Lord  Valentia's  Travels,  under  the  name 
of  Psittacus  Taranta.  It  was  found  to  be  not  uncommon  near 
the  pass  from  which  it  derives  its  specific  name.  Another 
species  is  figured  in  Ruppel's  Atlas,  with  the  title-of  Psittacus 
Meyeri.     It  is  found  in  Kordofan. 

The  ostrich  is  known  in  the  low  districts  north  of  Abyssinia, 
but  we  believe  its  occurrence  is  very  rare  within  the  actual 
limits  of  the  country. 

Of  gallinaceous  birds  we  shall  name  only  the  Guinea-fowl, 
now  well  known  in  Britain  as  a  domesticated  species.  It 
occurs  in  the  wild  state  in  these  parts  of  Africa,  and  so  expert 
are  the  natives  in  the  use  of  the  matchlock  that  they  constantly 
kill  it  with  a  single  ball.  Quails  and  red-legged  partridges  also 
occur  in  Abyssinia. 

Many  fine  species  of  the  order  Grallatores  inhabit  these  coun- 
tries. The  Arabian  bustard  (Otis  Arabs)  is  nearly  as  large  as 
the  common  bustard  of  Europe.  It  is  found  both  in  Asia  and 
Africa.  Its  flesh  is  excellent ;  its  manners  are  but  slightly 
known.     Rtippel  found  it  in  Kordofan. 

The  tribe  of  storks  were  regarded  by  Linnaeus  as  congeners 
with  the  herons  and  cranes.  They  are  birds  of  lofty  stature  and 
great  power  of  wing,  and  are  met  with  in  most  countries  where 
reptile  food  abounds.  As  the  creatures  on  which  they  prey  are 
impatient  of  cold,  and  disappear  beneath  the-  waters  or  in  the 
holes  of  the  earth  on  the  approach  of  winter,  so  the  storks 
themselves  migrate  from  one  country  to  another  to  avoid  a  low 
temperature  and  the  consequent  deficiency  .of  their  favourite 
food.  In  addition  to  their  frequent  destruction  of  noxious  or 
unseemly  creatures,  the  habits  of  certain  -species  "are  familiar 
and  domestic,  and  they  have  for  many  ages  been  regarded  with 
respect,  or  even  veneration;  by  nations  in  no  way  habitually  in- 
fluenced by  enthusiastic  or  romantic  feeling.'  Though  the 
affection  of  these  birds  for  their  parents  may  be  regarded  as  a 
doubtful  characteristic,  their  extreme  attachment  to  their  young 
must  be  considered  as  certain,  since,  at  the  burning  of  Delft,  a 
stork  was  observed  to  perish  in  the  flames  rather  than  desert  its 
newly -hatched  offspring.  A  notable  species,  which  the  accuracy 
of  our  wood-cut  saves  us  the  trouble  of  describing  in  detail,  is 
the  saddle-billed  stork  ( Cicnnia  ephippiorhyncha).  We  shall  only 
mention  that  it  measures  between  four  and  five  feet  in  height. 

Water  birds  are  by  no  means  numerous.  There  are  few 
geese,  either  wild  or  tame,  except  the  species  called  the  golden 
goose,  or  goose  of  the  Nile,  and  a  duck  allied  to  the  Anas  Lybica. 
A  species  of  gull  with  a  black  head,  white  eyelids,  and  cinereous 
back,  takes  its  flight  occasionally  into  Abyssinia  from  the  shores 
of  the  Red  Sea.    The  same  bird  occurs  in  the  Caspian  and 


Saddle-billed  Stork. 


BIRDS, 


311 


the  rivers  of  the  East  Indies. 
Pallas.* 


It  is  the'  Larus  ichthymtus  of 


*  As  the  limits  to  which  we  are  necessarily  restricted  in  this  article 
prevent  our  entering  into-a  detailed  history  of  the  species,  we  shall  here 
present  two  lists  which  will  put  the  reader  in  possession  of  at  least  the 
names  of  the  principal  birds  of  Abyssinia,  and  those  other  portions  of  the 
north  of  Africa  to  which  the  present  volume  is  devoted.     ' 

Our  first  list  is  extracted  from  that  furnished  by  Dr.  Latham,  and 
originally  published  in  the  Appendix  to  Salt's  Travels. 


Lanius  poliocephalus 

L.         Cubla 

L.         ferrugineus 

L.         humeralis 

Psittacus  Taranta 

( 'oracias  afra  ? 

Bucco  Saltii 

Cueulus,  var.  of  Edolius,  Le  Vail 

C.  Senegalensis , 

Picus  Abyssinicus 

Alcedo  Chelicuti 

Merops  erytbropterus 

M.  furcatus 

Upupa  erythrorhynchos 

Certhia  Tacazze 

Tanagra  erythrorhyncha 

Fringilla  Senegala 

F.  Benghalus 

Muscicapa  Paradisi 

M .  mutata 


Alauda  African  a 
Sylvia  pammelaina 
Hirundo  Capensis 
Turd  us  phcenicurus 
T/  musicus 

T.  Capensis 

T.  nitens 

Colius  strialus 
Loxia  lencotis 
Emberiza  Capeusis 
Columba  Guinea 
C.  Abyssinica 

Numida  mitrata 
Scolopax  calidris 
Tringa  Senegalla 
Erodia  amphilensis 
Alauda  desertorum 
Cursorius  Europaeus 
Ralius  Capensis 
Parra  African  a. 


Our  second  list  is  from  the  Atlas  , to  Ruppel's  Reise  im  Nordhchen 
Afrika,  and  contains  the  names  of  the  species  (many  of  which  are  new) 
figured  in  that  work,  in  the  order  of  publication. 


Otis  nuba 
Malurus  damans  . 
M.  gracilis 

Ciconia  ephippiorhyncha 
Turdoides  leucocephala 
Alauda  bifasciata 
Caprimulgus  infureatus 
Nectarinia  metallica 
Ciconia  abdimii 
Perdix  Clapertonii 
Emberiza  striolata 
E.  coesia 

Psittacus  Meyeri 
Malurus  squamiceps 
Sterna  velox 
S.         affinis 
Ploceus  supersiliosus 
Otis  Arabs 
Larus  ichthycetus 
Malurus  acaciae 
Sylvia  Riippelii 
Bucco  margaritatus. 


Pelecanus  rufescens 
Vultur  occipitalis 
Trox  plebejus' 
Rhynchops  Orientalis 
Emberiza  flavigaster 
Ardea  Goliath 
Falco  rufinus 
Pogonias  melanocephala 
Dacelo  pygmaea 
Lanius  erythrogaster 
Perdix  rubricollis 
Charadrius  melanopterus 
Vultur  Kolbli 
Sylvia  crassirostris 
Motacilla  melanocephala 
Saxkola  pallida ' 
S.  lsabellina 

Malurus  pulchellus 
Sylvia  brevicaudata 
Malurus  ruficeps 
M.  iiKiuietus. 


312  ZOOLOGY. 

The  reptile  tribe  are  the  next  in  succession  in  our  systematic 
arrangements.  We  shall  mention  in  the  lirst  place  the  lizard, 
called  El  addh,  one  of  .the  few  which  the  Arabians  in  all  ages 
have  admitted  to  be  free  from  poisonous  qualities  ;  for  however 
singular  it  may  now  appear  to  those  better  informed  upon  the 
subject,  the  writers  of  that  nation  have  described  almost  the 
whole  of  the  lizard  tribe  as  venomous.  The  species  just  named 
measures  six  and  a  half  inches  in  length.  Though  its  legs  are 
long  it  does  not  make  use  of  them  in  standing  up,  but  creeps 
with  its  belly  almost  close  to  the.  ground,  and  is  capable  of 
running  with  great'agility.  It  burrows  in  the  sand,  and  per- 
forms the  operation  so  rapidly  as  to  get  out  of  sight  in  a  few 
seconds,  appealing  not  so  much  to  be  making  a  hole  as  to  have 
found  one.  It  is  a  native  of  Atbara,  beyond  the  rujns  where 
Bruce  supposes'  the  island  and  city  of  Meroe  to  have  anciently 
stood. 

There  are  not  maliy  serpents  in  Upper  Abyssinia,  and  few 
remarkable  animal sbf  that  class  even  in  the  lower  countries, 
•if  we  except  a  species  of  boa,  commonly  so-called,  which' at- 
tains to  the  length  of  twenty  feet.  It  feeds  upon  antelopes 
and  the  dee;:  kind,  which  it  swallows  entire.  Its  favourite  places 
of  resort  are  by  the  sides,  of  grassy -pools  of  stagnant  rivers, 
where  it  lies  .in  ambuscade,  ready  to  encircle  in  its  horrid  folds 
whatever  quadruped  approaches. 

A  remarkable  and  noted  serpent  of  these  parts  is  the  cerastes 
or  horned  viper.  It  lades  itself  all  day  in  holes  in  the  sand, 
where  it  lives  in  little  chambers  similar  and  contiguous  to  those 
of  the  jerboa.  Bruce  kept  a  pair  of  them  in  a  glass  jar  for  two 
years  Without  any  food  ;  they  did  not  appear  to  sleep  even  m 
winter,  and  cast  their  skins'during  the  last  days  of  April.  The 
cerastes  moves  with  great  rapidity.  This  poisonous  reptile  is 
very  fond  of  heat ;  for,  however  warm  the  weather  might  be  dur- 
ing the  day,  whenever  Bruce  made  a  fire. at  night  rt  seldom  hap- 
pened that  fewer  than  half  a  dozen  .were  found  burnt  to  death 
by  .approaching  too  closely  to  the  embers. 

While  Mr.  Salt's  party  were  engaged  in  shooting  at  hippo- 
potami, as  already  noticed,  they  occasionally  observed  several 
crocodiles,  called  by  thje  natives  agoos,  rising  at  a  distance  to 
the  surface  of  the  river :  they  appeared  to  be  of  an  enormous 
size  and  of  a  greenish  colpur.  The  Abyssinians  entertain  a 
great  dread  of  these  animals ;  and  when  any  one  goes  to  the 
Tacazze,  even  to  wash  "his  hands,  he  takes  a  companion  with 
him  to  throw  stones  into  the  water  for  the  purpose  of  keeping 
off  the  crocodiles  ;  and  in  crossing  a  ford  it  is  usual  with  the 
natives  to  carry  their  spears,  and  to  make  as  much  noise  as. pos- 
sible, though  these  animals  are  seldom  known  to  Trequent  the 


REPTILES. 


313 


shallower  parts  of  the  stream  ;  while  the  very  thought  of  bathing 
in  the  river  seemed  to  strike  them  with  horror.  Yet  the  ther- 
mometer at  this  time  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Tacazze  stood 
at  95°  in  the  shade,  so  that  a  bath  could  not  have  been  other- 
wise than  refreshing.  Mr.  Legh,  while  ascending  the  Nile,  first 
observed  crocodiles  between  Cafre  Saide  and  Diospolis  Parva, 
the  modern  How.  He  thinks  Girgeh  the  limit  below  which 
they  do  not  ascend.  They  were  numerous  between  that  place 
and  the  Cataracts.* 

Although,  as  Bruce  has  well  observed,  the  fish  of  Eastern 
countries  are  generally  more  distinguished  for  their  beauty  and 
variety  of  colour,  and  the  singularity  of  their  forms,  than  for 
their  excellence  as  articles  of  diet,  yet  a  species  of  binny  found 
in  Nubia  is  noted  for  the  goodness  of  its  taste.  It  is  a  large  spe- 
cies, varying  in  weight  from  thirty  to  seventy  pounds.  The 
largest  are  caught  about  Rosetta  and  the  mouth  of  the  river,  but 
they  are  also  very  numerous  higher  up  as  far  as  Syene  and  the 
first  cataract.  Many  rare  and  remarkable  fishes  will  be  found 
represented  and  described  in  the  Atlas  to  the  Reise  im  Nordlichen 
Afrika,  already  so  frequently  referred  to.  We  give  their  names 
in  the  subjoined  note. f 

*  Some  singular  and  beautiful  reptiles  from  Nubia  and  Abyssinia  have 
been  of  late  years  figured  and  described  by  Ruppel.  The  following  is 
the  catalogue  of  those  engraved  in  the  Atlas  of  that  author  : — 


Uromastyx  ornatus 
Stellio  vulgaris 
Agama  sinaita 
Ptyodactylus  scaber 

t  Ostracion  argus 
O.  cyanurus 

Scolopsis  lineatus 
S.  bimaculatus 

S.  kurite 

Sillago  sihama 
Smaris  oyena 
Tirrhites  maculosus 
Pharopterix  nigricans 
),utodeira  chanos 
Percis  cylindrica 
Cbeilinus  iunulatus 
Julis  purpureus 
J.       aggula 
Balystis  aculeatus 

B.  coerulescens 
<Jlyphisodon  sordidus 
Pomacentrus  trirnaculatus 
P.  marginatus 
Chatodon  flavus 

C.  dorsal  is 

C.  triangularis 


Dd 


Stenodactylus  scaber 
Hemidaet-yJus  granosus 
Bufo  Arabicus 
Varanus  oceilatus. 

Anampses  cceruleopunctatus 
Xyrichthys_bmaculatus 
Amphacanthus  siganu.s 
A.  punctatus 

Apogon  lineolatus 
Haliophis  guttatus 
(antharus  filamentosus 
Trvgon  Lvrnna 
T."  Forskali 

Rhin'abatus  Djiddensis 
R.  halavi 

Acanthurus  rokal 
Aspisurus  elegans 
Acanthurus  rubopunctatus 
A.  velifer 

Tetraodon  calamara 
T.  honkenji 

T.  diadematus 

Lebias  dispar 
Platax  orbicularis 
P.  albipunctatus 

Diacope  argentimaculata 


314 


ZOOLOGY. 


In  regard  to  testaceous  productions,  there  are  three  kinds  of 
shell-fish  in  the  Red  Sea,  which  are  zealously  sought  for  on 
account  of  the  pearls  which  they  contain.  The  first  is  a  muscle 
of  unfrequent  occurrence,  found  chiefly  towards  the  north  end 
of  the  gulf,  and  on  the  Egyptian  side.  Bruce  saw  them  at 
Cosseir,  where  there  was  an  ancient  port  called  Myos  Hormos, 
erroneously  called  the  Port  of  the  Mouse;  whereas  it  signifies 
Muscle  Harbour.  The  pearls  found  in  this  shell  are  of  great 
beauty  as  to  form  and  lustre,  but  they  are  seldom  of  a  clear 
colour.  The  second  sort  of  pearl-shell  is  called  pinna.  It  is 
rough,  and  figured  on  the  outside,  of  a  beautiful  red  colour,  ex- 
tremely fragile,  and  sometimes  measures  three  feet  long.  It  is 
clothed  in  the  inside  with  a  beautiful  and  sumptuous  lining  of 
nacre  or  mother-of-pearl,  of  a  white  colour  tinged  with  a  delicate 
blush  of  red.  The  third  kind  of  pearl-bearing  shell  is  not  unlike 
our  oyster.  Its  produce  is  characterized  by  its  extreme  white- 
ness. The  most  excellent  are  those  which  resemble  a  solution 
of  alum, — limpid,  milky-like,  yet  with  a  certain  almost  imper- 
ceptible cast  of  a  fiery  colour,  but  not  transparent,  as  supposed 
by  Theophrastus.  In  the  Red  Sea,  where  it  holds  the  highest 
rank  among  pearls,  it  is  called  lulu  single,  or  lulu  el  Berber,  that 
is,  the  pearl  of  Berber,  Barabra,  or  Beja,  the  country  of  the 
Shepherds.* 

Ancient  writers  appear  to  have  endowed  testaceous  animals 
with  a  higher  capacity  than  corresponds  to  the  station  assigned 
them  in  these  degenerate  days.  Pliny  and  Solinus  inform 
us,  that  the  pearl-muscles  have  leaders,  and  go  in  flocks,  and 
that  the  captain  of  the  band  is  gifted  with  peculiar  cunning  to 


Diacope  fulviriamma 
I),  lineolata 

Scarus  psittacus 
S.  gibbus 

Scaris  hand 
S.  niastax 

S.  bicolor 

Holocentrus  ruber 
H.  diadema 

H.  samara 

If.  spinifer 

Mirypristis  murdjan 
CaesLomnrus  quadripimctatus  - 
Noineus  riigrofaseiatus 
Cybium  Commersonii 
Caranxpetaurista 
C.  djeddaba 

C.  macrophthalma 

C.  bajad 

*  Bruce,  vol.  v.  p.  22L 


Caranx  ferdau 

C.  fulvoguttatus 

Citula  ciliaria 

Serranus  rogaa 

S.  louti 

S.  miniatus 

S.  miryaster 

S.  fuscoguttatus 

S.  hemistiktos 

Petroscirtes  niitratus 

Salaris  quadripennis 

S.  cyclops 

OpistognaUius  nigromarginatus 

Conger  cinereus 

Muraena  ophis 

M.  geometrica 

M.  (jgriua 

M.  flavamarginata. 


INSECTS.  315 

protect  himself  and  his  flock  from  the  rapacious  fishermen.  It 
is  added,  that  when  the  leader  is  taken,  the  others,  hesitating 
and  inexperienced,  fall  an  easy  prey.  It  has  been  observed  that 
pearls  are  always  the  most  beautiful  in  those  places  where  a 
quantity  of  fresh  water  falls  into  the  sea.  Bruce,  however,  ob- 
served none  of  .the  pearl-shells  on  either  side  southward  of  the 
parallel  of  Mocha,  in  Arabia  Felbc.  In  that  part  of  the  travel- 
ler's narrative  where  he  relates  his  return  through  the  Desert  of 
Nubia,  he  alludes  to  the  muscles  which  occur  in  the  salt-springs 
of  these  arid  regions.  They  are  said  to  travel  far  from  home, 
and  are  sometimes  surprised  by  the  ceasing  of  the  rains  at  a 
greater  distance  from  their  beds  than  they  have  strength  or 
moisture  to  travel  over.  In  many  of  these  shells  coarse  excres- 
cences occur  which  may  be  called  pearls,  but  they  are  ill-formed 
and  of  a  bad  colour.  The  value  of  these  articles,  it  may  be  ob- 
served, depends  upon  their  size,  colour,  smoothness,  lustre,  and 
regularity  of  form.  In  proportion  to  their  size,  they  may  be 
considered  as  the  most  valuable  of  all  animal  product?,  or  next 
to  the  diamond  of  all  the  productions  of  nature.  It  is  known 
that  Csesar  gave  to  Serviha,  the  mother  of  Marcus  Brutus,  a 
pearl  which  was  worth  50,000/.  of  our  money ;  and  the  famous 
vaunt  of  Cleopatra  to  her  lover,  that  she  would  provide  him 
with  a  supper  which  should  cost  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
pounds,  was  accomplished  by  dissolving  in  a  draught  one  of  the 
precious  pearls  from  her  earrings.  Its  counterpart  was  after- 
ward carried  to  Rome  by  Augustus  Csesar,  and,  being  cut  in 
two,  was  affixed  to  the  ears  of  the  statue  of  Venus  Genetrix. 

We  shall  conclude  our  notice  of  this  subject  by  observing, 
that  an  elegant  and  ingenious  method  of  veneering  or  inlaying 
with  nacre  or  mother-of-pearl  is  brought  to  great  perfection, 
especially  at  Jerusalem.  The  substance  used  is  chiefly  taken 
from  the  lulu  el  Berber,  commonly  called  the  Abyssinian  oyster. 
Great  quantities  are  brought  from  the  Red  Sea  to  Jerusalem, 
and  are  formed  into  boxes,  beads,  and  crucifixes,  much  sought 
after  by  Spaniards  both  in  the  Old  World  and  the  New.* 

A  sketch  of  the  history  of  two  of  the  most  remarkable  insects 
of  these  countries  must  bring  our  zoological  chapter  to  a  close. 
The  fly  called  Tsaltsalya  presents  a  singular  example  of  the 
pervading  influence  of  a  creature  which,  were  we  to  judge  from 
its  apparent  or  external  characteristics,  w-e  should  deem  alike 
insignificant  and  powerless.  In  size  it  is  little  larger  than  a  bee,  and 
has  pure  gauzy  wings  without  spot  or  colour.  The  head  is  large, 
and  the  mouth  is  furnished  with  three  strong  projecting  hairs  or 
bristles.  Providence  appears  to  have  fixed  the  habitation  of  this 
insect  to  a  soil  composed  of  a  black  fattish  earth  of  extraordi- 

*  Bruce,  vol.  v.  p.  230. 


31G  ZOOLOGY. 

nary  fruitfulness  ;  and  there  it  reigns  for  a  season  as  lord  and 
master.  According  to  Brace,  it  absolutely  prohibited  the  former 
inhabitants  of  the  land,  called  Mazaga,  and  who  were  domiciled 
in  caves  and  mountains,  from  deriving  any  advantage  from 
beasts  of  burden.  It  deprived  them  of  flesh  and  milk,  and  gave 
origin  to  another  nation,  whose  manners  were  exactly  the  re- 
verse of  the  first.  These  were  shepherds,  who  lead  a  wander- 
ing life,  and  preserve  immense  herds  of  cattle  by  conducting 
them  into  sandy  regions  beyond  the  limits  of  the  black  earth, 
and  bring  them  back  again  when  all  danger  from  the  fly  has 
ceased.  "  We  cannot  read  the  history  of  the  plagues  which 
God  brought  upon  Pharaoh  by  the  hands  of  Mcses  without 
stopping  a  moment  to  consider  a  singularity,  a  very  principal 
one,  which  attended  this  plague  of  the  fly.  It  was  not  till  this 
time,  and  by  means  of  this  insect,  that  God  saii  he  would  sepa- 
rate his  people  from  the  Egyptians.  And  it  would  seem  that 
then  a  law  was  given  to  them  that  fixed  the  limits  of  their  hab- 
itation. It  is  well  known,  as  I  have  repeatedly  said,  that  the 
land  of  Goshen  or  Geshen,  the  possession  of  the  Israelites,  was 
a  land  of  pasture,  which  was  not  overflowed  by  the  Nile.  But 
the  land  overflowed  by  the  Nile  was  the  black  earth  of  the  val- 
ley of  Egypt,  and  it  was  here  that  God  confined  the  flies  ;  for 
he  says,  it  shall  be  a  sign  of  this  separation  of  the  people,  which 
he  had  then  made,  that  not  one  fly  should  be  seen  in  the  sand  or 
pasture-ground,  the  land  of  Goshen  ;  and  this  kind  of  soil  has 
ever  since  been  the  refuge  of  all  cattle  ^emigrating  from  the 
black  earth  to  the'lower  part  of  Atbara.  Isaiah,  indeed,  says 
that  the  fly  shall  be  in  all  the  desert  places,  and  consequently 
the  sands  ;  yet  this  was  a  particular  dispensation  of  Providence 
to  answer  a  special  end,  the  desolation  of  Egypt,  and  was  not  a 
repeal  of  the  general  law,  but  a  confirmation  of  it ;  it  was  an  ex- 
ception for  a  particular  purpose  and  a  limited  time."* 

In  the  Chaldee  version  this  insect  is  called  simply  zebub, 
which  signifies  the  fly  in  general,  as  it  is  expressed  in  English. 
By  the  Arabs  it  is  translated  zimb,  which  has  the  same  signifi- 
cation. Tsaltsalya  is  the  word  used  in  the  Ethiopic  translation, 
and  that,  term  is  the  true  name  of  the  fly  in  Geez.  As  soon  as 
this  plague  appears,  and- its  dreaded  buzzing  is  heard,  the  cattle 
forsake  their  food,  and  run  wildly  about  the  plain  till  they  die, 
worn  out.  with  fear,  fatigue,  and  famine  ;  and  no  remedy  remains 
for  the  inhabitants  but  to  leave  the  region  of  the  black  earth  and 
hasten  down  to  the  sands  of  Atbara.  Even  the  sunburnt 
camel,  emphatically  called  the  ship  of  the  desert,  is  soon  de- 
stroyed by  this  destructive  creature.  The  gigantic  elephant 
and  case-hardened  rhinoceros,  both  of  which  are  prevented  by 
their  enormous  bulk,  and  the  vast  quantity  of  food  and  water 

*  Bruce,  vol.  v.  p.  190. 


INSECTS.  317 

which  they  consume  daily,  from  removing  to  dry  and  desert 
places,  are  obliged  to  roll  themselves  in  the  mud,  which  soon 
dries  and  hardens  on  their  obdurate  coats,  and  enables  them  in 
some  measure  to  withstand  the  attack  of  their  winged  and 
almost  viewless  assassin.  The  whole  inhabitants  of  the  seacoast 
of  Melinda,  down  to  Cape  Guardafui,  to  Saba,  and  the  south  of 
the  Red  Sea,  are  obliged  to  remove  to  the  next  sands  on  the 
commencement  of  the  rainy  season,  for  the  salvation  of  their 
flocks.  "  This,"  says  Bruce,  "  is  not  a  partial  emigration  ;  the 
inhabitants  of  all  the  countries  from  the  mountains  of  Abyssinia, 
northward  to  the  confluence  of  the  Nile  and  Astaboras,  are  once 
a  year  obliged  to  change  their  abode,  and  seek  protection  in  the 
sands  of  Beja;  nor  is  there  any  alternative,  or  means  of  avoid- 
ing this,  though  a  hostile  band  was  in  their  way,  capable  of  spoil- 
ing them  of  half  their  substance."  Hear  the  words  of  the  in- 
spired prophet : — "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  that 
the  Lord  shall  hiss  for  the  fly  that  is  in  the  uttermost  part 
of  the  rivers  of  Egypt." — "  And  they  shall  come,  and  shall  rest 
all  of  them  in  the  desolate  valleys,  and  in  the  holes  of  the  rocks, 
and  upon  all  thorns,  and  upon  all  bushes."* 

The  only  other  insect  which  we  shall  notice  is  the  Abyssinian 
locust,  which  Mr.  Salt  informs  us  commits  dreadful  ravages  in 
that  country.  During  his  stay  in  the  Bay  of  Amphila  a  large 
flight  of  these  insects  came  over  to  one  of  the  islands,  and  in  a 
few  days  destroyed  nearly  half  the  vegetation  upon  it,  not  sparing 
even  the  bitter  leaves  of  the  rack-tree.  These  locusts  are 
named  Terid  in  Yemen,  and  Anne  in  Dancali,  and  are  frequently 
used  as  food  by  the  wandering  tribes  of  both  these  nations,  who, 
after  broiling  them,  separate  the  heads  from  the  bodies,  and  de- 
-vour  the  latter  in  the  same  manner  as  Europeans  eat  shrimps 
and  prawns. f 

*  Isaiah,  chap.  vii.  18,  19.  t  Vovage  to  Abyssinia,  p.  172. 

Dd2 


BOTANY. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

General  Description  of  the  Vegetation  as  far  as  it  is  knoum — Brief 
Account  of  the  most  Remarkable  and  Useful  Plants. 

Vegetation  of  the  Country— The  Baobab— Acacia  vera— Tamarind- 
Kan  tuffa— Kuara— True  Sycamore—  Kolquail— Cusso—  Balsam  of 
Mecca— Wooginoos  —  Coffee-tree  —  Wansey —  Ensete  —  Doum-tree — 
Dhourra— Teff—  Papyrus. 

Few  materials  have  been  contributed  by  travellers  towards  a 
flora  of  Nubia  and  Abyssinia.  Since  the  time  of  Bruce  we 
know  of  two  individuals  only,  Mr.  Salt  and  M.  CailHaud,  who 
have  made  any  considerable  additions  to  our  knowledge  of  the 
plants  of  those  countries.  Mr.  Salt  has  published  a  catalogue 
of  the  species  collected  by  him  ;  but  it  is,  after  all,  merely  a  list 
of  names.*  M.  Cailliaud  preserved  a  smaller  number  ;  but  the 
hundred  species  he  obtained  have  been  carefully  described  by 
M.  Raffeneau  Delile,t  and  thirty-five  of  them  are  new.  With- 
out entering  into  minute  observations  on  the  respective  collec- 
tions of  these  travellers,  we  may  remark,  that  on  comparing  them, 
together,  twenty  species,  or  one-fifth  of  the  whole  of  M.  Cail- 
liaud's  collection,  are  Ugieminosa  ;  while  of  Mr.  Salt's  collection, 
which  amounts  to  one  hundred  and  forty  species,  only  eleven 
are  leg-uminosoe.  And  that  it  is  equally  remarkable  that  there 
should  be  eleven  labiates  in  Mr.  Salt's  list,  and  only  a  solitary 
representative  of  the  order  in  that  of  M.  Cailliaud. 

A  .great  sameness  prevails  in  the  vegetation  of  the  deserts; 
the  trees  are  mostly  acacias,  tamarix,  date,  and  doum  palms. 
Plants,  however,  abound  in  the  more  cultivated  regions,  the 
banks  of  rivers,  and  the  elevated  mountain-ranges  ;  but  of  the 
peculiar  features  presented  by  the  vegetation  in  different  parts 
of  the  country  we  have  few  and  very  meager  descriptions.  The 
most  instructive  one  is  contained  in  the  notes  of  Bruce's  Jour- 

*  Sail's  Voyage  to  Abyssinia,  A  pp.  p.  62. 

t  Voyage  a  Meroe,  <fcc,  par  M.   Frederic  Cailliaud,  1S27,  vol.  iv.  p. 


ASCENT    OF    TARANTA,  319 

ney  from  Arkeeko  to  Dixan,  over  the  mountain  Taranta.  The 
high  range  of  which  this  mountain  forms  a  part  is  described  by 
him  as  constituting  the  boundary  between  the  opposite  seasons; 
the  rains  on  the  eastern  side,  or  that  looking  towards  the  Red 
Sea,  prevailing  from  October  to  April,  and  on  the  western  side 
from  May  to  October.  At  the  same  time  a  sensible  difference 
is  perceived  in  the  character  of  the  vegetation.  Soon  after 
leaving  Laberhey  the  grass  which  covered  the  plain  disappeared, 
and  as.  the  traveller  and  his  party  imperceptibly  ascended,  gave 
place  to  woods  of  acacias.  The  bed  of  a  torrent  soon  became 
their  only  road,  the  banks  of  which  were  adorned  with  rack- 
trees  (Racka  ovata),  capers,  and  tamarinds  (  Tamarindiis  Indica). 
The  second  grow  to  the  size  of  an  "  English  elm."  These  trees 
then  became  intermixed  with  abundance  of  the  sycamore 
(Fictis  Sycomorus),  often  measuiing  twenty  feet  or  more  in  the 
circumference  of  their  trunks.  The  forest,  which  here  became 
so  dense  and  luxuriant  as  to  form  natural  arbours,  and  cast  a 
gloomy  shade,  grew  more  open  as  the  party  ascended  the  emi- 
nences, which  constituted  the  actual  base  of  the  mountain, 
through  the  midst  of  sycamore  and  jujeb  trees  of  great  beauty. 
This  side  of  the  mountain  was  thickly  set  with  kolquall  (Eu- 
phorbia antiquorum),  a  plant  that  Bruce  afterward  saw  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  Abyssinia,  but  never  in  the  same  degree  of  perfec- 
tion. The  middle  region  of  the  ascent  produced  fewer  plants, 
and  was  characterized  by  the  prevalence  of  wild  olives  desti- 
tute of  fruit.  Towards  the  upper  part,  and  on  the  summit 
itself,  thick  groves  occurred  .of  the  arze,  or  berry -bearing  cedar 
(Junipems  Oxycednis  ?),  the  trees  of  which  were,  according  to 
Bruce,  tall  and  beautiful ;  while  on  the  western  side  they  be- 
came small  shrubs  and  scraggy  bushes.  Mr.  Salt  ascended  the 
same  mountain,  and  speaks  of  the  kolquall  being  nearly  forty  feet 
in  height.  He  observed  the  sweet-brier  (probably  the  Rosa 
Abyssinica),  as  well  as  several  highly  aromatic  shrubs,  and  a 
number  of  flowers,  some  of  which  had  bulbous  roots.  In  the 
above  description  we  have  distinct  traces  of  several  zones  of 
vegetation ;  but  the  absence  of  barometrical  measurements,  or 
even  any  estimate  of  elevation,  deprives  the  account  of  much 
interest  and  usefulness.  . 

Of  the  vegetation  of  the  interior  we  canxollect  only  scattered 
notices.  The  bases  of  the  mountains  are  described  as  some- 
times covered  with  brushwood,  "  aloes,"  thorny  acacias,  inter- 
mixed with  canes  and  bamboos  (probably  Bambusa  arundinacea). 
Some  portions  of  the  province  of  Sirt  are  very  beautiful. 
"  Poncet,"  observes  Bruce,  "was  right  when  he  compared  it  to 
the  most  beauteous  part  of  Provence.  We  crossea  the  plain 
(Selechlecka)  through  hedge-rows  of  flowering  shrubs,  among 
which  the  honeysuckle  now  made  a  principal  figure,  which 
is  of  one  species  only,  the  same  known  in  England;   but 


320  BOTANY. 

the  flower  is  larger  and  perfectly  white.  *  Fine  trees  of  all 
sizes  were  everywhere  interspersed ;  and  the  vine,  with  small 
black  grapes  of  very  good  flavour,  hung  in  many  places  in  fes- 
toons, joining  tree  to  tree  as  if  they  had  been  artificially  twined 
and  intended  for  arbours."  Coffee-trees  are  scattered  in  many 
places;  but  in  Narea,  the  southernmost  province  of  the  Abyssin- 
ian empire,  they  grow  in  great  profusion.  Acacias  of  several 
species  are  common,  especially  in  some  districts.  For  example, 
the  whole  territory  of  Aroose  is  shaded  with  the  Acacia  vera, 
the  tree  which  in" the  sultry  parts  of  Africa  produces  the  gum- 
arabic.  "  These  trees,"  says  Bruce, "  grow  seldom  above  fifteen 
or  sixteen  feet  high,  then  flatten  and  spread  wide  at  the  top,  and 
touch  each  other,  while  the  trunks  are  far  asunder,  and  under 
a  vertical  sun  leave  you  many  miles  together  a  free  space  to 
walk  in  a  cool  delicious  shade.  There  is  scarcely  any  tree  but 
this  in  Maitsha ;  all  Guanguera  and  Wainadega  are  full  of 
them."  Bruce  adds,  that  throughout  Aroose  the  ground  beneath 
these  trees  is  covered  with  lupines,  almost  to  the  exclusion  of 
every  other  flower. 

Near  Addergey,  the  same  traveller  encamped  by  the  side  of  a 
rivulet  called  Mai-Lumi, — the  river  of  limes  or  lemons, — the 
woods  on  its  banks  being  full  of  "  lemons  and  wild  citrons." 
He  also  describes  a  species  of  Pplymnia,  which  he  calls  frondosa, 
but  which  is  P.  Abyssinica  of  botanists,  that  yields  an  oil  em- 
ployed for  domestic  purposes  throughout  the  country.  The 
castor-oil  plant  (Ricinus  communis)  is  frequent  in  Nubia,  ac- 
cording to  Burckhardt,  the  product  of  which  is  called  oil  of 
Kheroa  by  the  natives. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  notice  in  a  more  particular  manner 
some  of  the  vegetable  productions  of  these  countries. 

The  baobab,  or  monkey-bread  (Adansonia  digitata),f  is  the 
most  gigantic  tree  hitherto  discovered.  The  trunk,  though  fre- 
quently eighty  feet  in  circumference,  rarely  exceeds  twelve  or 
fifteen  feet  in  height ;  but  on  the  summit  of  this  huge  pillar  is 
placed  a  majestic  head  of  .innumerable  branches  fifty  or  sixty 
feet  long,  each  resembling  an  enormous  tree,  densely  clothed 
with  beautifully  green  leaves.  While  the  central  branches  are 
erect  the  lowest  series  extend  in  a  horizontal  direction,  often 
touching  the  ground  at  their  extremity  ;  so  that  the  whole  forms 
a  splendid  arch  of  foliage,  more  like  the  fragment  of  a  forest 
than  a  single  tree.  The  grateful  shade  of  this  superb  canopy 
is  a  favourite  retreat  of  birds  and  monkeys ;  the  natives  resort 
to  it  for  repose,  and  the  weary  traveller  in  a  burning  climate  gladly 
flies  to  it  for  shelter.     The  roots  of  the  baobab  are  admirably 

*  This  honeysuckle  is  probably  quite  distinct  from  the  two  common 
British  species, 
t  Bet.  Mag.  vol.  lv.  pi.  2791  and  2792. 


MONKEY-BREAD    TREE.  321 

adapted  for  affording  stability  to  the  truck,  and  for  enabling  the 
prodigious  head  to  resist  the  force  of  t:;e  tempest,  being  of  sin- 
gular strength,  and  upwards  of  a  hundred  feet  in  length.  The 
bark  of  the  trunk  is  thick,  and  very  smooth.  The  leaves  are 
quinate,  smooth,  resembling  in  general  form  those  of  the  horse- 
chestnut.  The  flowers  are  white  and  very  beautiful,  eighteen 
inches  in  circumference.  The  fruit,  which  hangs  in  a  pendant 
manner,  is  a  woody  gourd-like  capsule  with  s  downy  surface, 
about  nine  inches  in  length  and  liurin  thickness,  containing 
numerous  cells  in  which  brown  kiliey-shaped  seeds  are  im- 
bedded in  a  pulpy  acid  substance.  The  timber  is  soft  and  spongy, 
and  we  are  not  aware  that  it  is  used  for  any  economical  pur- 
pose. Jt  is  very  easily  perforated,  so  that,  according  to  Bruce, 
the  bees  in  Abyssinia  construct  their,  nests  within  it,  and  the 
honey  thus  obtained,  being  supposed  to  have  acruired  a  supe- 
rior flavour,  is  esteemed  in  preference  to  any  other.  A  more 
remarkable  excavation  is  however  made  by  the  natives ;  dis- 
eased portions  of  the  trunk  are  hollowed  out  and  converted  into 
tombs  for  the  reception  of  the  bodies  of  such  individuals  as,  bv 
the  laws  or  customs  of  the  country,  are  denied  the  usual  rites  of 
interment.  The  bodies  thus  suspended  within  the  cavity,  and 
without  any  preparation  or  embalmment,  dry  into  well-pre- 
served mummies.  The  juicy  acid  pulp  of  the  fruit  is  eaten  by 
the  natives,  and  is  considered  beneficial  in  fevers  and  other  dis- 
eases on  account  of  its  cooling  properties.  It  was  analyzed  by 
Vauquelin,  and  found  to  consist  chiefly  of  a  gum,  a  saccharine 
matter,  an  amylaceous  fecula,  and  malic  acid.  A  kind  of  con- 
diment is  prepared  from  the  bark  and  leaves,  which  being  dried 
and  reduced  to  a  fine  powder,  is  used  in  cookery  as  we  do  pepper 
and  salt.  The  negroes  call  this  powder  Ullo  or  krfo,  and  believe 
that  it  tends  to  restrain  inordinate  perspiration.  An  excellent 
soap  is  obtained  by  boiling  the  leys  of  the  ashes  of  the  bark  and 
injured  fruit  with  rancid  palm-oil.  The  duration  of  the  baobab 
is  not  the  least  extraordinary  part  of  its  history,  and  has  given 
rise  to  much  speculation.  In  it  we  unquestionably  see  the  most 
ancient  living  specimens  of  vegetation.  "  It  is,v  says  the  illus- 
trious Humboldt,  "  the  oldest  organic  monument  of  our  planet ;" 
and  Adanson  calculates  that  trees  now  alive  have  weathered 
the  storms  of  five  thousand  years.  If  this  be  true,  the  surface 
of  the  African  continent  can  have  undergone  but  trifling  geo- 
logical changes  during  that  space  of  time.  The  leaves  of  this 
great  tree  are  deciduous,  a  fact  mentioned  by  Bruce,  who  ob- 
serves that  the  dry  fruit  hangs  long  after  the  leaves  have  disap- 
peared, and  confirmed  by  Bowdich,  who  says  they  fail  before 
the  rainy  season.* 
In  the  family  of  Leguminosa,  several  plants  occur  of  coiisider- 

*  Bowdich's  Account  of  Banjole. 


322  BOTANY. 

able  interest.  We  have  alluded  to  the  abundance  of  acacia- 
trees  :  of  these  there  are  various  species  besides  the  Acacia 
vera.  One  is  mentioned  by  Burckhardt  under  the  name  of 
Sellam-trees,  the  wood  of  which  is  valued  for  its  great  hard- 
ness. The  Arabs  "  use  it  for  the  shafts  of  their  lances,  and  cut 
the  thin  branches  into  sticks  of  about  the  thickness  of  the  thumb, 
and  three  feet  in  length,  the  top  of  which  they  bend  in  the  fire 
while  the  wood  is  yet  green,  and,  rubbing  it  frequently  with 
grease,  it  acquires  greater  weight  and  strength.  Every  man 
carries  in  his  hand  such  a  stick,  which  is  called  Sellame.  From 
the  Acacia  vera  (A.  Nilotica  of  Delile)  is  obtained  the  well  known 
gum-arabic  of  commerce,  and  ite  pods,  as  well  as  those  of  Casr 
sia  Sabak,  are  employed  in  Nubia  in  the  process  of  tanning.  It 
is  related  by  Burckhardt,  that  he  found  stunted  trees  of  a  kind 
of  acacia  growing  on  a  saline  plain,  in  his  route  from  Taka  to 
Suakin,  all  of  which  bore  a*  parasitic  species  of  cactus,  that 
completely  covered  some  of  them  like  a  net.  Here  we  also 
find  the  tamarind  (  Tamarindus  Indica),  the  name  of  which  is 
derived  from  the  Arab  Tamar-hendi,  signifying  fruit  of  India. 
The  tamarind  is  a  large  tree,  with  an  erect  cylindrical  trunk, 
widely-spreading  branches,  and  pinnated,  bright,  nearly  ever- 
green foliage.  The  fruit  is  a  pendulous  pod  like  a  bean,  three 
to  five  inches  in  length,  the  coat  of  which  is  double  ;  the  outer 
one  dry  and  brittle,  the  inner  one  membranous.  Between  these 
coats  is  the  thick  acid  pulp  which,  after  being  boiled  with 
sugar,  is  imported  from  the  East  and  West  Indies.  The  very 
leaves  and  flowers  are  reported  by  Delile  to  be  acid.  Mr.  Salt 
and  his  party  found  this  fruit  a  great  refreshment  while  in  Abys- 
sinia. M.  Delile  informs  us,  that  large  quantities  of  tamarind- 
fruit  are  brought  by  caravans  of  negroes  from  Darfiir  to  Cairo, 
in  the  form  of  small  round  cakes,  pierced  with  a  hole  through 
their  centre,  and  weighing  from  one  to  four  pounds.  This 
preparation  is  hard,  black,  and  very  acid  ;  it  is  composed  of  the 
pulp  of  the  fruit,  with  portions  of  the  pod  itself,  and  occasion- 
ally some  of  the  seeds.  A  finer  kind  is  also  brought  to  Cairo 
from  the  East  Indies,  more  esteemed  as  a  preserve,  but  sup- 
posed to  possess  inferior  medicinal  properties.*  About  forty 
tons  of  tamarind  fruit  are  said  to  be  annually  imported  into 
Great  Britain.  Another  beautiful  leguminose  plant  is  thus  in- 
troduced to  our  notice  by  Bruce : — "  This  thorn,  like  many 
men  we  meet  daily  in  society,  has  got  itself  into  a  degree  of 
reputation  and  respect  from  the  noxious  qualities  and  power  of 
doing  ill  which  it  possesses,  and  the  constant  exertion  of  these 
powers."  Such  is  the  character  of  the  kantuffa  (Pterolobium 
lacerans,  Br.).  It  is  a  bushy  shrub,  six  or  eight  feet  high,  well 
furnished  with  thorns,  and  clothed  with  elegantly  twice-pin- 

*  Delile,  in  Cailliaud,  Voy.  k  Meroe,  <Src.  vol.  iv.p.  323. 


SYCAMORE-TREK.  323 

nated  leaves.  In  some  parts  of  Abyssinia  it  is  very  abundant, 
and  where  it  grows  thickly  is  a  sufficient  impediment  to  the 
march  of  a  royal  army.  The  common  soldier,  who  is  protected 
by  the  skins  of  animals,  is  alone  indifferent  to  the  thorns  of  this 
plant.  The  ordinary  cotton  cloths  of  the  country,  though  some 
of  them  are  as  thick  as  a  blanket,  are  no  defence  ;  for  the  thorns 
bury  themselves  in  its  substance,  and  are  with  the  greatest  diffi- 
culty disengaged.  When  the  king,  therefore,  commences  any 
warlike  expedition,  the  clearing  of  the  ground  from  this  shrub 
becomes  of  primary  importance ;  and  one  of  the  first  procla- 
mations runs  according  to  the  traveller  above  mentioned,  in 
the  following  pithy  style  : — "  Cut  down  the  kantuffa  in  the  four 
quarters  of  The  world,  for  I  do  not  know  where  I  am  going." 
A  very  handsome  tree  in  the  southern  and  south-western  parts 
of  Abyssinia,  called  Kuara  (Erythrina  Indica),  is  highly  inter- 
esting from  a  circumstance  connected  with  it,  recorded  by 
Bruce.  He  observes,  that  it  is  abundant  in  the  province  of 
Kuara,  of  which  it  bears  the  name,  in  all  Fazoglo,  Nuba,  and 
Guba,  and  the  countries  where  there  is  gold.  The  flower  is  of 
the  colour  of  fine  red  coral.  The  fruit  is  a  pod,  and  the  seeds 
small  red  beans,  marked  with  a  black  spot.  These  beans  are 
affirmed  by  Bruce  ro  have  been  used  in  the  earliest  ages  by  the 
Shangalla  as  a  weight  for  gold  ;  and  as  the  native  name  for  the 
bean  is  Carat,  he  concludes  that  the  modern  expression  in 
regard  to  gold  and  precious  stones,  of  so  many  carats  fine,  or 
weight,  originated  in  the  gold-country  of  Africa.*  A  remark- 
able coincidence  occurs  in  another  derivation  of  the  word  carat. 
Some  have  supposed  it  to  come  from  keootiov,  in  Latin  siliqua, 
the  carob-bean,  because  the  carat  used  in  weighing  diamonds 
and  other  gems  is  four  grains,  and  the  carob-bean,  or  seed  of  the 
carob-tree  (Ceratonia  siliqua),  is  about  the  weight  of  four  grains 
of  wheat. 

In  the  family  Artocarpea  we  observe  the  sycamore-tree  (Ficvs 
Sycomorus).  This  is  the  true  sycamore,  a  large  evergreen  tree, 
with  a  trunk  several  feet  in  diameter,  producing  a  fruit  which 
resembles  the  common  fig.  It  grows,  according  to  Norden,  to 
the  size  of  the  beech.  In  some  parts  of  the  mountains,  espe- 
cially on  Taranta,  the  Hazorta  feed  their  flocks  on  the  foliage, 
the  succulent  nature  of  the  wood  enabling  them  to  cut  down 
the  branches  with  great  ease.  By  this  custom  both  Mr.  Bruce 
and  Mr.  Salt  found  the  forest  deprived  of  much  of  their  shade 
and  beauty.  The  figs  are  produced  in  clusters  on  the  main 
stem  and  branches  ;  they  are  smaller  than  the  common  kind, 
sweet  and  delicate  according  to  some  authors,  but  too  insipidly 
luscious  in  the  opinion  of  others.  In  Egypt,  "  the  people  for 
the  greater  part  live  upon  its  fruit ;  and  think  themselves  well 

*  Bniee's  Travels,  A  pp.  p.  80,  8vo.  ed. 


324  BOTANY. 

regaled  whenjhey  have  a  piece  of  bread,  a  couple  of  sycamore- 
figs,  and  a  pitcher  filled  with  water  from  the  Nile."*  Bruce 
mentions  the  singular  fact,  that,  according  to  tradition,  all  the 
mummy-chests  which  have  been  found  from  former  ages  were 
made  of  sycamore,  and  that  all  those  now  found  are  constructed 
of  the  same  material.  The  name  of  this  tree  has  been  applied 
very  erroneously  to  the  greater  British  maple  (Acer  pseudo-Pla- 
tanus). 

The  kolquall  belongs  to  the  family  of  the  Euphorbiacea  ;  it  is 
also  manifestly  a  species  of  Euphorbia,  and  is  referred  by  bot- 
anists to  E.  antiquorwn.  When  young  the  whole  plant  con- 
sists of  a  succulent  green  column  resembling  a  cactus,  five  or  six 
inches  in  diameter,  and  of  the  same  thickness  from  the  bottom  to 
the  top,  fluted  and  angled,  the  angles  beautifully  scalloped. 
From  the  summit  of  this  column,  which  is  at  first  like  an  aloe 
in  substance,  but  afterward  hard  and  woody,  the  branches  arise, 
succulent  and  angular  like  the  young  plant,  and,  like  it,  never 
producing  leaves.  In  tnis  manner  an  extraordinary  tree  is 
formed,  which  attains  the  height  of  nearly  forty  feet.  Flowers 
of  a  golden  colour  are  put  forth  at  the  ends  of  the  branches, 
and  are  succeeded  by  a  deep  crimson  triangular  fruit.  In  such 
prodigious  abundance  was  this  tree  observed  on  Taranta,  when 
that  mountain  was  visited  by  Bruce,  and  so  thickly  did  the 
individuals  stand  together,  that  the  coloured  fruit  made  them 
appear  to  be  covered  with  a  veil  of  the  most  vivid  crimson.  Like 
other  Euphorbias,  the  kolquall, possesses  very  acrid  properties, 
and  exudes  a  copious  milky  fluid  when  wounded.  Two  of  the 
finest  branches  of  a  flourishing  tree,  divided  by  Bruce,  poured 
out  a  quantity  that  he  estimated  at  the  least  to  be  four  English 
gallons,  and  which  was  so  caustic  as  to  excoriate  the  fingers  as 
if  scalded  with  boiling  water,  and  to  leave  an  indelible  sr.ain  on 
the  sabre  with  which  they  were  cut.  In  decay,  the  branches 
wither  and  become  filled  with  a  pungent  powder.  Bruce  again 
met  with  this  plant  at  the  source  of  the  Nile,  but  much  degen- 
erated in  size  and  appearance.  The  Abyssinians  prepare  hides 
for  tanning  by  means  of  its  acrid  juice,  winch  is  effectual  in 
removing  the  hair.f 

A  -very  beautiful  tree  of  Abyssinia,  called  cusso  (Hagenia 
Abyssinica),  and  belonging  to  the  family  Meliaceae  ?  is  consid- 
ered a  specific  in  cases  of  worms, — a  malady  to  which,  it  seems, 
the  natives  of  that  country  are  peculiarly  subject.  The  tree 
is  about  twenty  feet  high,  with  a  crooked  trunk,  and  clothed 
with  pinnated  leaves  of  a  pleasant  opaque  green  colour.  "It 
is  planted  always  near  churches,  among  the  cedars  which  sur- 
round them,  for  the  use  of  the  town  or  village.''^    It  is  indi- 

*  Norden's  Travels,  vol.  i.  p.  50,  pi.  3S. 

t  Bruce's  Travels,  App.  8vo  ed.  p.  51.  }  Ibid.  App.  p.  90. 


BALSAM    OF    MECCA.  325 

genous  to  the  high  country ;  and  Bruce,  in  remarking-  that  he 
never  saw  it  in  the  Kolla,  nor  in  Arabia,  nor  in  any  other  part 
of  Asia  or  Africa,  considers  it  "an  instance  of  the  wisdom  of 
Providence,  that  it  does  not  extend  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
disease  of  which  it  was  intended  to  be  the  medicine  or  cure  !"* 
The  same  author,  in  the  fourth  page  from  the  quotation  we 
have  given,  has  favoured  us  with  a  most,  amusing  specimen  of 
logical  deduction  ;  he-is  speaking  of  the  representation  of  the 
cusso  in  his  work, — "As  the  figure  of  this  plant  is  true  and 
exact  beyond  all  manner  of  exception,  I  cannot  but  think  it  may 
be  found  in  latitudes  11°  or  12°  north,  in  the  West  Indies  or 
America;"  thus  not  only  making  the  .existence  of  the  plant 
in  those  countries  depend  upon  the  fidelity  of  his  drawing,  but 
demolishing  in  anticipation  his  example  of  the  wisdom  of  Prov- 
idence as  exhibited  in  confining  the  plant  to  Abyssinia. 

The  next  vegetable  production  which  falls  under  particular 
notice  is  the  balessa'm,  balm,  or  balsam  of  Mecca  {Balsamoden- 
dron  Opobalsamum),  belonging  to-the  family  BurseracecB.  It  is  a 
native  of  the  eastern  coast  of  Abyssinia;  especially  at  Azab,  and 
as  far  as  the  Strait  of  Bab  el  Mandeb.  Bruce  says,  it  is  a  small 
tree  "above  fourteen  feet  high,  with,  scraggy  branches  and  flat- 
tened top,  like  those  which  are  exposed  to  the  seaside  blasts  ; 
the  appearance  is  consequently  stunted,  and  the  leaves  are 
besides  small  and  few.  He  supposes  that  it  was  transplanted  to 
Arabia,  and  there  cultivated  at~a  very  early  period.  This  was 
the  Balsamum  Judaicum,  or  Balm  of  Gilead  of  antiquity  and  of 
the  sacred  writings,  it  being  supposed  at  one  time  to  be  pro- 
duced only  in  Judea.  It  seems,  however,  to  have  disappeared 
from  that  country,  and -the  supply  to  have  proceeded  from  Ara- 
bia. Many  fables  are  connected  with  it.  Tacitus  says  that 
the  tree  was  so  averse  from  iron  that  it  trembled  when  a  knife 
was  laid  near  it,  and  it  was  thought  the  incision  should  be  made 
with  an  instrument  of  ivory,  glass,  or  stone. f  Bruce  was  told 
by  Sidi  Ali  Taraboloussi  that  "  the  plant  was  no  part  of  the 
creation  of  God  in  the  six  days,  but  that  in  the  last  of  three  very 
bloody  battles  Which  Mahomet  fought  with  the  noble  Arabs  of 
Harb,  and  his  kinsmen  the  Beni  Koreish,  then  pagans,  at  Beder 
Hunein,  Mahomet  prayed  to  God,  and  a  grove  of  balsam-trees 
grew  up  from  the  blood  of  the  slain  upon  the  field  of  battle ; 
and  that  with  the  balsam  which  flowed  from  them  he  touched 
the  wounds  even  of  those  that  were  dead,  and  all  those  predesti- 
nated to  be  good  Mussulmans  afterward  immediately  came  to 
life."  An  equally  marvellous  legend  is  the  Arabic  fable  respect- 
ing El  Wah,  a  shrub  or  tree  nol^ unlike  our  hawthorn  in  form 
and  flower.  From  the-  wood  of  this  tree  they  believe  that 
Moses's  rod  was  made  when  he  sweetened  the  waters  of  Marah; 

*  Bruce's  Travels,  App.  p.  89.  t  Ibid.  App.  p.  26. 

E  e 


326  BOTANY. 

and  they  say  also,  that  by  means  of  a  rod  of  the  same  wood, 
Kaleb  Ibn  el  Waalid,  the  great  destroyer  of  Christians,  sweet- 
ened the  waters  at  El  Wah, — the  Oasis  Parva  of  the  ancients, 
which  were  once  bitter,  and  that  he  bestowed  upon  the  place 
the  name  borne  by  the  wonder-working  plant.  To  return  to  the 
balsam-tree  :  the  mode  of  obtaining  it  remains  to  be  described. 
This,  according  to  Bruce,  is  done  by  making  incisions  in  the 
trunk  at  a  particular  season  of  the  year,  and  receiving  the  fluid 
that  issues  from  the  wounds  into  small  earthen  bottles,  the  pro- 
duce of  every  day  being  collected  and  poured  into  a  larger  bottle, 
which  is  kept  closely  corked.  When  first  obtained,  it  is,  gays 
Bruce,  "  of  a  light  yellow  colour,  apparently  turbid,  in  which 
there  is  a  whitish  cast,  which  I  apprehend  arises  from  the 
globules  of  air  that  pervade  the  whole  of  it  in  its  first  state  of 
fermentation  ;  it  then  appears  very  light  upon  shaking.  As  it 
settles  and  cools  it  turns  clear,  and  loses  that  milkiness  which 
it  first  had.  It  has  then  the  colour  of  honey,  and  appears  more 
fixed  and  heavy.  The  smell  at  first  is  violent  and  strongly  pun- 
gent, giving  a  sensation  to  the  brain  like  to  that  of  volatile  salts 
when  rashly  drawn  up  by  an  incautious  person.  .  This  lasts  in 
proportion  to  its  freshness  ;  for  being  neglected,  and  the  bottle 
uncorked,  it  quickly  loses  this  quality,  as  it  probably  will  at 
last  by  age,  whatever  care  is  taken  of  it."*  The  natives.of  the 
East  use  it  medicinally  in  complaints  of  -  the-  stomach  and 
bowels,  as  well  as  a  preservative  .against  the  plague ;  but  its 
chief  value  in  the  eyes  of  oriental  ladies  lies  in  its  virtue  as  a 
cosmetic, — although,  as  in  the  case  of  most  other  cosmetics,  its 
effects  are  purely  imaginary.  Lady  Mary  Wortley  Montague 
ascertained  that  it  was  in  request  by  the  ladies  of  the  seraglio 
at  Constantinorrle  ;  but  having  tried  it  on  her  own  person  found 
it  exceedingly  irritating  to  the  skin.  Much  of  the  virtue  attrib- 
uted to  it  depends  on.  the  costliness  of  the  material. 

Among  the  Xanthoxylea  we  observe  ■  an  Abyssinian  shrub 
dedicated  to  the  traveller  we  have  so  often  referred  to.  It  is  the 
Brucea  cmtidysmterica  of  botanists,  the  Wooginoos  of  the  abo- 
rigines. Bruce  describes^  ifc  as  growing  in  the  greater  part  of 
Abyssinia,  especially  in  the  valleys  of  the  low  country.  In  Ras 
el  Feel  it  is  found  abundantly,  and  is  regarded  as  a  specific  in 
cases  of  dysentery,  a  disease  which  prevails  there  continually. 
The  root  is  the  part  employed,  and  Bruce  himself  was  restored 
to  health  by  its  use.  The  plant  has  recently  been  found  to  con- 
tain a  poisonous  principle,  less  powerful,  but  similar  in  its  effects 
to  strychnia,  which  has  received  the  name  of  Brucia.f 

The  coffee-tree  ( Coffea  Arabim),  belonging  to  the  family  called 
Cmchonacea,  is  one  of  the  indigenous  plants  of  Abyssinia,  as 
Avell  as  of  Arabia.    It  is  an  evergreen  tree,  or  rather  shrub, 

*  Brucea  Travels,  App.  p.  29.        t  Turner's  Chymistry,  ed.  4,  p.  776. 


INTRODUCTION    OF    COFFEE.  327 

fifteen  or  twenty  feet  in  height,  with  an  erect  slender  trunk  and 
long  flexible  branches.  The  white  flower  resembles  that  of  the 
common  jasmine,  and  the  fruit  is  like  a  small  red  cherry,  en- 
closing within  a  soft  pulp  the  two  oval  seeds  familiar  to  every 
one  as  the  coffee  of  commerce.  At  what  period  the  use  of  cof- 
fee was  adopted  as  an  article  of  diet  we  have  no  informa- 
tion. On  the  authority  of  an  Arabian  manuscript,  formerly 
in  the  library  of  the  King  of  France,  and  now  deposited  in  the 
Bibliotheque  Nationale,  Megaleddin,  mufti  of  Aden  in  Arabia, 
had  met  with  it  in  Persia,  and  on  his  return  having  continued 
to  use  the  infusion,  induced  many  others  to  fallow  his  example. 
The  beverage  soon  became  popular  in  Aden,  and  rapidly  ex- 
tended to  Mecca,  Medina,  and  the  other  cities  of  Arabia  Felix.* 
Coffee  was  introduced  at  Grand  Cairo  by  dervises  from  Yemen 
resident  in  that  city  ;f  when  it  was  however  opposed  on  reli- 
gious grounds, -from  the  persuasion  that  it  had  an  inebriating 
quality ;  and  in  1523,  Abdallah  Ibrahim  having  denounced  it  in 
a  sermon,  a  violent  commotion  was  produced,  and  the  parties 
came  to  blows.  Upon  this,  says  a  writer  in  Rees's  Cyclopaedia, 
the  Sheik  Elbelet,  commander  of  the  city,  assembled  the  doc- 
tors, and  after  giving  a  patient  hearing  to  their  tedious  ha- 
rangues, treated  them  all  with  coffee,  first  setting  the  example  by 
drinking  it  himself,  and  then  dismissed  the  assembly  without 
uttering  another  word\  By  this  prudent  conduct  the  public 
peace  was  restored  ;  and  coffee  continued  to  be  drunk  at  Grand 
Cairo  without  further  molestation.  At  Constantinople  it  had 
also  to  encounter  religious  opposition.  The  dervises  had  the 
sagacity  to  discover  that  coffee,  wThen  roasted,  becomes  a  kind 
of  coal ;  they  therefore  declaimed  against  it  with  fury,  coal 
being  one  of  the  substances  which'  their  prophet  declared  not 
intended  by  God  for  human  food.  The  mufti  was  of  their  party, 
and  the  coffee-houses  were  soon  shut  up.  A  more  sensible 
mufti  succeeded,  who  assured  the  faithful  that  roasted  coffee 
is  not  coal,  and  they  were  again  opened.^  Coffee  experienced 
political  persecution  likewise  in  Constantinople,  from  the  jeal- 
ousy of  the  government,  which  looked  upon  the  coffee-houses 
as  little  better  than  nurseries  of  sedition.  It  soon  however  tri- 
umphed over  every  obstacle,  and  being  taxed,  produced  a  con- 
siderable revenue.  Public  officers  are  appointed  to  inspect  it 
and  prepare  it ;  and  it  is  said  that  a  refusal  to  supply  a  wife 
with  coffee  is  one  of  the  legal  grounds  of  divorce  in  Turkey. 
Coffee  was  brought  into  notice  in  the  west  of  Europe  in  the 
seventeenth  century.  The  first  coffee-house  in  London  was 
opened  m  George  Yard,  Lombard-street,  in  1652,  by  Pasqua,  a 
Greek  servant  ot  Daniel  Edwards,  a  Turkish  merchant,  and  the 

*  Rees's  Cyclopaedia,  article  Coffee.  t  D'Herbelot,  p.  234. 

J  Rees's  Cyclopaedia,  article  Coffee. 


328  BOTANY. 

number  soon  increased.  In  1675  Charles  II.  attempted  to  sup- 
press them,  as  places  of  resort  dangerous  to  government,  but 
without  effect ;  and  in  1G88  it  was  supposed  that  there  wero  as 
many  of  these  houses  of  entertainment  in  London  as  in  Grand 
Cairo,  besides  those  to  be  met  with  in  the  principal  towns 
throughout  the  country.  The  coffee-tree  begins  to  produce 
fruit  in  its  second  year,  and  yields  according  to  its  age  and  size, 
from  one  to  four  or  five  pounds.  It  is  cultivated  in  the  East  and 
West  Indies,  and  has  become  of  vast  importance  in  the  com- 
mercial world.  The  quantity  annually  .  consumed  in  Europe 
alone  is  now  probably  not  far  short  of  two  hundred  millions  of 
pounds.  In  Abyssinia  its  value  is  said  to  have  been  known 
from  time  immemorial.  The  Galla,  who  have  frequently  td  cross 
uncultivated  deserts,  carry  with  them  small  balls,  made  up  of 
pounded  coffee  and  butter,  and  upon  this  food,  in  preference  to 
bread  or  flesh,  they  perform  long  journeys. 

The  next  plant  we  have  selected  for  a  brief  notice  in  this 
place  is  the  wansey  {Cordia  Abyssinica),  belonging  to  the  Cor- 
diacecB.  The  wansey  is  an  ornamental  tree  about  twenty  feet  in 
height,  and  for  some  unknown  reason  has  divine  honours  paid 
to  it  by  the  seven  nations  of  the  Galla.  It  is  common  in  Abys- 
sinia, and  planted  in  all  the  towns.  The  flowering  season  -is 
immediately  after  the  periodical  rains,  when  the  pretty  white 
blossoms  expand  so  .suddenly  as  to  change  the  aspect  of  the 
country.  Bruce  indeed  says  that  it  blossoms  the  first,  day  the 
rains  cease ;  and  that  exactly  on  the  1st  of  September,  for  | 
three  years  together,  in  a  night's  time  it  was  covered  with 
such  a  multitude  of  flowers  that  Gondar  and  the  neighbouring 
towns  appeared  as  if  overspread  with  new-fallen  snow.  "When 
called  upon  to  choose  a  king,  the  representatives  of  the  Galla 
nations  meet  under  the  shade  of  this  tree,  and  the  individual  on 
whom  the  choice  falls  is  crowned  with  a  chaplet  of  wansey, 
and  has  a  sceptre  of  the  wood  put  into  his  hand,  which  is  called 
Buco ;  this  sceptre  is  carried  before  him  like  a  mace  wherever 
he  goesl  and  is  inseparable  from  royalty  in  the  general  meet- 
ings of  the  nations. 

A  very  remarkable  plant  is  both  described  and  figured  by 
Bruce  under  the  name  of  ensete,  but  in  such  a  vague  and  un- 
satisfactory manner  that  it  is  impossible  to  make  out  its 
botanical  relations.  It  has  been  conjectured  to  be  a  kind  of 
banana  (Musa) ;  but  this*  is  exceedingly  doubtful,  and  we  are 
rather  inclined  to  think  that  it  will  prove  to  be  a  new  genus, 
and  the  type  of  a  new  natural  family  of  plants.  The  ensete  is 
of  frequent  occurrence  in  Abyssinia,  especially  in  the  moist  and 
warm  parts  of  the  country,  but  abounds  "  in  that  part  of  Mait- 
sha  and  Goutto  west  of  the  Nile,  where  there  are  large  planta- 
tions of  it,  and  it  there,  almost  exclusive  of  any  thing  else, 
forms  the  food  of  the  Galla  inhabiting  that  province,"    Bruce 


ENSETE    DOTJM-TREE.  329 

in  his  description  gives  us  no  data  for  judging  of  the  6ize  of 
the  ensete ;  but  he  speaks  of  the  stem  being  esculent  for  sev- 
eral feet  in  height.  The  whole  plant  is  herbaceous ;  the  leaves 
are  sessile,  numerous,  somewhat  resembling  those  of  the  banana, 
or  some  large  species  of  Arum,  and  commencing  at  the  very  base, 
where  they  are  the  largest,  become  smaller  by  degrees  till  they 
reach  the  inflorescence.  The  fruit  is  bome  on  the  upper  part 
of  the  stem,  of  a  conical  form,  an  inch  and  a  half  in  length, 
and  about  an  inch  in  diameter,  "  in  colour  and  consistence  re- 
sembling a  rotten  apricot,"  containing  a  "  stone  half  an  inch 
long,  of  the  shape  of  a  bean."  Above  the  part  that  produces 
the  fructification,  the  stalk  begins  to  be  curved  downwards,  and 
is  thickly  set  with  small  leaves  (bracteee  ?)  "  in  the  midst  of 
which  it  terminates  the  flower  in  the  form  of  the  artichoke."  No 
one  can  have  a  correct  idea  of  the  plant  from  such  a  description. 
The  fruit  is  not  eatable,  but  the  body  of  the  plant,  according  to 
Bruce,  is  to  be  preferred  to  all  vegetables,  and  when  boiled  has 
the  taste  of  the  best  new  wheat-bread  not  perfectly  baked. 
The  individual  plant  represented  in  the  Appendix  to  his  Travels 
was  ten  years  old.  "  When  you  make  use  of  the  ensete  for 
eating,  you  cut  it,"  says  Bruce,  "  immediately  above  the  small 
detached  roots,  and  perhaps  a  foot  or  two  higher,  as  the  plant  is 
of  age.  You  strip  the  green  from  the  upper  part  till  it  becomes 
white  ;  when  soft,  like  a  turnip  well  boiled,  if  eaten  with  milk 
or  butter,  it  is  the  best  of  all  food,  wholesome,  nourishing,  and 
easily  digested."* 

The  doum-tree  (Cucifera  Thebaica),  one  of  the  Palmce,is  a  re- 
markable tree,  between  thirty  and  forty  feet  in  height,  the  trunk 
of  which  exhibits  a  deviation  rarely  met  with  among  palms,  in 
being  repeatedly  branched  in  a  dichotomous  manner.  A  tuft  of 
numerous  leaves  crowns  the  summit  of  each  division  of  the 
trunk,  six  feet  long  and  three  feet  broad,  supported  on  footstalks, 
plaited,  spreading  like  a  fan,  and  split  into  radiating  segments. 
The  flowers  are  produced  on  a  branched  receptacle,  called  in 
botanical  language  a  spadix,  the  whole  being  enclosed  in  a 
sheath  or  spatha,  through  the  side  of  which  it  bursts  when  the 
flowers  are  about  to  expand.  The  fruit  is  oval,  and  suspended 
in  grape-like  clusters.  The  doum-tree  is  of  great  value  to  the- 
inhabitants  of  the  countries  where  it  grows,  as  it  often  takes 
the  place  of  the  date-palm,  and  supplies  them  with  food  and 
various  useful  articles  ;  besides,  wherever  it  establishes  itself 
in  the  desert,  various  shrubs,  and  plants  gradually  rear  their 
heads  under  its  shade,  and  in  process  of  time  render  the  burn- 
ing sand  fit  for  cultivation.  The  fruit  is  about  the  size  of  a 
large  walnut,  and  contains  a  pulp,  the  flavour  of  which  is  com- 
pared both  by  Poiret  and  Captain  Lyon  to  gingerbread.  A  sherbet 

*  Bruce,  App.  p.  49. 
£e2 


330  BOTANY. 

is  prepared  from  it  resembling  that  made  with  the  pods  of  the 
carob-tree.  Of  the  hard  kernels  beads  are  turned  susceptible 
of  a  beautiful  polish.  The  natives  manufacture  baskets  from 
the  leaves,  of  surprising  neatness  and  beauty,  as  well  as  vessels 
for  containing  water.  Burckhardt  also  mentions  that  he  saw 
an  encampment  at  Atbara,  consisting  of  tents  formed  of  mats 
made  of  the  leaves  of  the  doum-tree. 

Several  Graminea,  natives  of  Nubia  and  -Abyssinia,  are  culti- 
vated for  food.  One  of  these  is  the  dhourra  (Sorghum  vulgare), 
the  stalks  of  which,  according  to  Burckhardt.  often  rise  to  the 
height  of  sixteen  or  even  twenty  feet.  In  Upper  Egypt  .it  is 
much  inferior  in  size.  The  grain  is  much  esteemed.  That 
grown  in  Taka  is  of  so  fine  a  quality  as  to  be  nearly  equal  to 
wheat.  It  is  difficult  to  say  whether  dhourra  is  a  name  con- 
fined to  a  particular  kind  of  grain  in  Africa.  It  is  certainly  ap- 
plied to  the  Sorghum  vulgare,  which  is  the  Holcus  Durra  of  For- 
skahl,  the  H.  Sorghum,  L.  and  H.  rhbens,  Willd.  The  maize  is 
calied  dhourra-kyzan.  Another  grain  in  common  use  through- 
out Abyssinia  is  the  teff  (Poa  Abyssinica),  a  kind  of  gr^s  pos- 
sessing little  beauty,  the  seeds  of  which  produce  excellent  flour. 
"Wheaten-fiour  is  used  by  individuals  of  rank,  but  the  common 
bread  of  the  country  is  made  from  the  teff.  From  this  bread, 
when  fermented  with  water  till  the  mixture  acquires  an  acid 
taste,  is  prepared  a  kind  of  beer  in  general  request  by  the  Abys- 
sinians.  In  addition  to  the  above,  Bruce  mentions  a  gigantic 
wild  oat,  of  frequent  occurrence,  having  stalks  at  least  eight 
feet  long.  It  is  sometimes  so  tall  as  to  conceal  both  a  horse 
and  his  rider.  In  cases  of  emergency,  the  people  make  huts  of 
them  like  bee-hives.  .  The  soldiers,  who  carry  no  tents,  make 
them  very  speedily  for  themselves  of  these  Oats,  the  straw  of 
which  is  as  thick  as  the  little  finger.  The  grain  is  not  valued, 
but  the  taste  is  good,  and  Bruce  often  made  the  meal  into  cakes 
in  remembrance  of  Scotland.  He  is  of  opinion  that  this  is  the 
common  oat  in  its  original  state,  and  that  it  has  degenerated  in 
a  European  climate. 
'  The  plant  to  which  we  mean  to  devote  the  remainder  of  our 
limited  space  is  not  the  least  interesting  one  in  the  Egyptian  and 
Abyssinian  floras, — the  papyrus  of  the  ancients.  This  cele- 
brated vegetable,  the  Cyperus  Papyrus  of  botanists,  is  a  graceful 
marsh  plant  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  in  height.  The  roots  creep 
extensively,  and  throw  up  numerous  stems,  sheathed  at  the  base 
by  a  few  sword-shaped  leaves,  and  terminated  with  large  and 
elegant  umbels  of  flowers.  Bruce  obtained  specimens  from  the 
lakes  Tzana  and  Gooderoo  in  Abyssinia.  The  paper  of  anti- 
quity was  prepared  from  the  inner  portion  of  the  stem  ;  and,  on' 
the  authority  of  Pliny,  the  best  and.  most  beautiful  paper  was 
made  out  of  the  very  heart  of  the  substance  of  the  stem,  and  was 
composed  of  three  layers,  arranged  in  parallel  and  transverse 


PAPYRUS.  331 

rows,  and  submitted  to  heavy  pressure.  A  kind  of  size  seems 
also  to  have  been  used,  which  glued  the  parts  together  and  ren- 
dered the  spongy  texture  fitter  for  the  reception  of  writing.  To 
be  of  g©od  quality  this  paper  was  required  to  be  fine,  compact, 
white,  and  smooth.  Several  coarser  kinds  were  made.  It 
would  appear  from  the  same  author  that  the  Egyptians  formerly 
applied  the  plant  to  many  purposes.  "  The  inhabitants  of  Egypt 
do  use  the  root  instead  of  wood,  not  for  fuel  only,  but  also  to 
make  thereof  sundry  vessels  and  utensils  in  an  house.  The 
very  bodie  and  pole  of  the  papyr  itselfe  servethvery  well  to  twist 
and  weave  therewith  little  boats,  and  the  rinds  thereof  be  good 
to  make  saile-clothes,  curtains,  mats,  and  coverlets,  clothes  also 
for  hangings,  and  ropes.  Nay,  they  used  to  chew  and  eat  it 
both  raw  and  sodden ;  but  they  swallow  the  juice  only  down 
the  throat,  and  spit  out  the  grosse  substance."*  As  for  the  flower, 
it  served  no  other  purpose  than  for  "  chaplets  to  adorn  the  im- 
ages of  the  gods."  At  one  time  the  papyrus  was  in  general  re- 
quest, not  only  in  Egypt,  but  in  other  countries.  Under  the 
Ptolemies  the  books  of  the  great  Alexandrian  library  were 
copied  on  this  paper  ;  but  when  Eumenes,  king  of  Pergamus, 
began  to  establish  a  rival  library,  a  mean  jealousy  controlled  the 
dissemination  of  knowledge,  and  forbade  the  exportation  of  pa- 
pyrus. Parchment  came  into  more  general  use  soon  afterward, 
and  is  said  to  have  derived  its  Latin  name  pergamcnea  from  the 
city  of  Pergamus,  where  it  was  substituted  for  the  papyrus, 
which  was  no  longer  to  be  obtained.! 

*  Pliny,  book  xiii.,  ch.  11.    Holland's  Translation. 
t  Vid.  Vossii  Etymologicon  in  voce  Pergamenea. 


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12roo 


FAMILY    CLASSICAL    LIBRARY. 


The  Publishers  have  much  pleasure  in  recording 
the  following  testimonials  in  recommendation  of  the 
Family  Classical  Library. 

"Mr.  Valpy  has  projected  a  Family  Classical  Library.  The  idea  is 
excellent,  and  the  work  cannot  fail  to  be  acceptable  to  youth  of  both  sexes, 
as  well  as  to  a  large  portion  of  the  reading  community,  who  have  not  had 
ihe  benefit  of  a  learned  education." — Gentleman's  Magazine,  Dec.  1829. 

"  We  have  here  the  commencement  of  another  undertaking  for  the  more 
general  distribution  of  knowledge,  and  one  which,  if  as  well  conducted 
as  we  may  expect,  bids  fair  to  occupy  an  enlarged  station  in  our  imme- 
diate literature.  The  volume  before  us  is  a  specimen  well  calculated  to 
recommend  what  are  to  follow.  Leland's  Demosthenes  is  an  excellent 
work." — Lit.  Gazette. 

"  This  work  will  be  received  with  great  gratification  by  every  man  who 
knows  the  value  of  classical  knowledge.  All  that  we  call  purity  of  taste, 
vigour  of  style,  and  force  of  thought,  has  either  been  taught  to  the  modern 
world  by  the  study  of  the  classics,  or  has  been  guided  and  restrained  by 
those  illustrious  models.  To  extend  the  knowledge  of  such  works  is  to 
do  a  public  service." — Court  Journal. 

"  The  Family  Classical  Library  is  another  of  those  cheap,  useful,  and 
elegant  works,  which  we  lately  spoke  of  as  forming  an  era  in  our  pub- 
lishing history." — Spectator. 

"The  present  era  seems  destined  to  be  honourably  distinguished  in 
literary  history  by  the  high  character  of  the  works  to  which  it  is  succes- 
sively giving  birth.  Proudly  independent  of  the  fleeting  taste  of  the  day, 
they  boast  substantial  worth  which  can  never  be  disregarded;  they  pat 
forth  a  claim  to  permanent  estimation.  The  Family  Classical  Library  is 
a  noble  undertaking,  which  the  nameof  the  editor  assures  us  will  be  exe- 
cuted in  a  style  worthy  of  the  great  originals." — Morning  Post. 

"  This  is  a  very  promising  speculation ;  and  as  the  taste  of  the  day  runs 
Just  now  very  strongly  in  favour  of  such  Miscellanies,  we  doubt  not  it 
will  meet  with  proportionate  success.  It  needs  no  adventitious  aid,  how 
ever  influential ;  it  has  quite  sufficient  merit  to  enable  it  to  stand  on 
its  own  foundation,  and  will  doubtless  assume  a  lofty  grade  in  public 
favour." — Sun. 

"  This  work,  published  at  a  low  price,  is  beautifully  got  up.  Though 
to  profess  to  be  content  with  translations  of  the  Classics  has  been  tie 
nounoed  as  '  the  thin  disguise  of  indolence,'  there  are  thousands  who 
have  no  leisure  for  studying  the  dead  languages,  who  would  yet  like  to 
know  what  was  thought  and  said  by  the  sages  and  poets  of  antiquity 
To  them  this  work  will  be  a  treasure." — Sunday  Times. 

"  This  design,  which  is  to  communicate  a  knowledge  of  the  most 
esteemed  authors  of  Greece  and  Rome,  by  the  most  approved  translations, 
to  those  from  whom  their  treasures,  without  such  assistance,  would  be 
hidden,  must  surely  be  approved  by  every  friend  of  literature,  by  every 
lover  of  mankind.  We  shall  only  say  of  the  first  volume,  that  as  ,the 
execution  well  accords  with  the  design,  it  must  command  general  appro- 
bation."— The  Observer. 

"  We  see  no  reason  why  this  work  should  not  find  its  way  into  the 
boudoir  of  the  lady,  as  well  as  into  the  library  of  the  learned.  It  is  cheap, 
portable,  and  altogether  a  work  which  may  safely  be  plsced  in  the  li&ada 
Of  persons  of  both  sexes."—  Weekly  Free  Frets. 


FAMILY    CLASSICAL   LIBRARY. 

"A  greater  desideratum  to  the  English  reader  cannot  well  be  brought 
to  pabhc  notice."—  Bell's  Weekly  Messenger. 

"  The  Family  Classical  Library  may  be  reckoned  as  one  of  the  most 
Instructive  series  of  works  nowiu  the  course  of  publication."—  Cambridge 
Chronicle. 

"A  series  of  works  under  the  title  of  the  Family  Classical  Library 
is  now  in  the  course  of  publication,  which  will,  no  doubt,  arrest  the  atten- 
tion of  all  the  admirers  of  elegant  and  polite  literature— of  that  literature 
which  forms  the  solid  and  indispensable  basis  of  a  sound  and  gentlemanly 
education." — Bath  Herald. 

"  We  are  inclined  to  augur  the  most  beneficial  results  to  the  rising 
generation  from  the  plan  and  nature  of  this  publication  ;  and  we  doubt  not 
that  under  the  able  superintendence  of  Mr.  Valpy,  the  value  of  the  present 
work  will  not  exceed  its  success  as  a  mere  literary  speculation.  It  ought 
to  find  a  place  in  every  school  and  private  family  in  the  kingdom." — Bris- 
tol Journal. 

"  The  design  of  this  publication  is  highly  laudable  :  if  it  be  patronised 
according  to  its  deserts,  we  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  its  success 
will  be  very  considerable." — Edinburgh  Advertiser. 

"  If  we  had  been  called  on  to  state  what  in  our  opinion  was  wanted  to 
complete  the  several  periodicals  now  in  course  of  publication,  we  should 
have  recommended  a  translation  of  the  most  approved  ancient  writers,  in 
a  corresponding  style.  This  undertaking,  therefore,  of  Mr.  Valpy's,  most 
completely  meets  the  view  we  had  entertained  on  the  subject  We 
strongly  recommend  the  production  to  the  notice  of  schools,  as  its  perusal 
must  tend  to  implant  on  the  minds  of  the  pupils  a  love  for  ancient  lore. 
In  Ladies'  Seminaries  the  series  will,  indeed,  be  invaluable — the  stores  of 
antiquity  being  thus  thrown  open  to  them." — Plymouth  and  Devonport 
Herald. 

"  Economy  is  the  order  of  the  day  in  books.  The  Family  Classical  Li- 
brary will  greatly  assist  the  classical  labours  of -tutors  as  well  as  pupils. 
We  suspect  that  a  period  is  arriving  when  the  Greek  and  Latin  authors 
will  be  more  generally  read  through  the  medium  of  translations." — Chel- 
tenham Journal. 

"We  avail  ourselves  of  the  earliest  opportunity  of  introducing  to  the 
notice  of  our  readers  a  work  which  appears  to  promise  the  utmost  advan- 
tage to  the  rising  generation  in  particular.  There  is  no  class  of  people  to 
whom  it  is  not  calculated  to  be  useful— to  the  scholar,  it  will  be  an  agree- 
able guide  and  companion;  while  those  to  whom  a  classical  education 
has  been  denied  will  find  in  it  a  pleasant  and  a  valuable  avenue  towards 
those  ancient  models  of  literary  greatness,  which,  even  in  this  age  of 
boasted  refinement,  we  are  proud  to  imitate." — Aberdeen  Chronicle. 

"The  Family  Classical  Library  will  contain  the  most  correct  and  ele- 
gant translations  of  the  immortal  works  of  all'the  great  authors  of  Greece 
and  Rome  ;  an  acquaintance  with  whose  writings  is  indispensable  to  every 
man  who  is  desirous  of  acquiring  even  modern  classical  attainments." — 
Liverpool  Albion, 

"  This  volume  promises  to  be  an  invaluable  acquisition  to  those  but 
partially  acquainted  with  the  Greek  and  Latin  languages:  such  of  the 
fair  sex  more  especially  as  direct  their  laudable  curiosity  in  the  channel 
of  classic  literature  must  find  in  translation  the  very  key  to  the  knowledge 
they  seek.  The  mere  trifle  for  which  the  lover  of  literature  may  now 
furnish  his  library  with  an  elegant  and  uniform  edition  of  the  best  trans- 
lations from  the  classics,  will,  it  cannot  be  doubted,  ensure  the  Family 
Classical  Library  a  welcome  reception."—  Woolmer's  Exeter  Gazette. 

"This  work  will  supply  a  desideratum  in  literature;  and  we  hope  it 
will  meet  -with  encouragement.  The  translations  of  many  of  the  ancient 
authors,  who  may  be  looked  on  as  the  great  storehouse  of  modern  litera- 
ture, are  out  of  the  reach  of  the  English  reader ;  and  this  publication  will 
reader  them  accessible  loaU'*—  Yorkshire  Gazette. 


LIBRARY   OF   SELECT  NOVELS. 


Fictitious  composition  Is  now  admitted  to  form  an  extensive  and  ita 
port  ant  portion  of  literature.  Well-wrought  novels  take  their  rank  by  tile 
side  of  real  narratives,  and  are  appealed  to  as  evidence  in  all  question* 
concerning  man.  In  them  the  customs  of  countries,  the  transitions  and 
shades  of  character,  and  even  the  very  peculiarities  of  costume  and  dia- 
lect, are  curiously  preserved  ;  and  the  imperishable  spirit  that  surrounds 
and  keeps  them  for  the  use  of  successive  generations  renders  the  rarities 
fbr  ever  fresh  and  green.  In  them  human  life  is  laid  down  as  on  a  map. 
The  strong  and  virid  exhibitions  of  passion  and  of  character  which  they 
furnish,  acquire  and  maintain  the  strongest  hold  upon  the  curiosity,  and, 
it  may  be  added,  the  affections  of  every  class  of  readers ;  for  not-only  ta 
entertainment  in  all  the  various  moods  of  tragedy  and  comedy  provided  in 
their  pages,  but  he  who  reads  them  attentively  may  often  obtain,  without 
the  bitterness  and  danger  of  experience,  that  knowledge  of  his  fellow- 
creatures  which  but  for  such  aid  could,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  ba  only 
acquired  at  a  period  of  life  too  late  to  turn  It  to  account. 

This  "  Library  of  Select  Novels"  will  embrace  none  but  such  as  have 
received  the  impress  of  general  approbation,  or  have  been  written  by 
authors  of  established  character;  and  the  publishers  hope  to  receive  sucn 
encouragement  from  the  public  patronage  as  will  enable  them  in  the 
oourse  of  time  to  produce  a  series  of  works  of  uniform  appearance,  and 
including  most  of  the  really  valuable  novels  and  romances  that  have  been 
*r  shall  be  issued  from  the  modern  English  and  American  press. 

There  is  scarcely  any  question  connected  with  the  interests  of  literature 
which  has  been  more  thoroughly  discussed  and  investigated  than  that  of 
the  utility  or  evil  of  novel  reading.  In  its  favour  much  may  be  and  has 
been  said,  and  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  reasonings  o>  hose  who  be- 
lieve novels  to  be  injurious,  or  at  least  useless,  are  not  witu.  "t  force  and 
plausibility.  Yet,  if  the  arguments  against  novels  are  clossv  examined, 
it  will  be  found  that  they  are  more  applicable  in  general  to  ex..  ssive  in- 
dulgence in  the  pleasures  afforded  by  the  perusal  of  fictitious  adventure* 
than  to  the  works  themselves ;  and  that  the  evils  which  can  be  justly 
ascribed  to  them  arise  almostuxclusively,  not  from  any  peculiar  noxious 
qualities  that  can  be  fairly  attributed  to  novels  as  a  species,  but  from  thoa* 
Individual  works  which  in  their  class  must  bo  pronounced  to  be  indif- 
ferent. 

But  even  were  It  otherwise — were  novels  of  every  kind,  the  good  as 
well  as  the  bad,  the  striking  and  animated  not  less  than  the  puerile,  in- 
deed liable  to  the  charge  of  enfeebling  or  perverting  the  mind  ;  and  were 
there  no  qualities  in  any  which  might  render  them  instructive  as  well  as 
amusing — the  universal  acceptation  which  they  have  ever  received,  and 
still  continue  to  receive,  from  all  ages  and  classes  of  men,  would  prove 
an  irresistible  incentive  to  their  production.  The  remonstrances  of  moral- 
ists and  the  reasonings  of  philosophy  have  ever  beea,  and  will  still  be 
found,  unavailing  against  the  desire  to  partake  of  an  ioyment  ao  attrac- 
tive. Men  will  read  novels ;  and  therefore  the  utmost  that  wisdom  and 
Ebilanthropy  can  do  is  to  cater  prudently  for  the  public  appetite,  and,  as  it 
i  hopeless  to  attempt  the  exclusion  of  fictitious  writings  from  the  shelves 
of  the  library,  to  see  that  they  are  encumbered  with  the  least  possible 
number  of  such  as  have  no  othar  merit  than  that  of  novelty. 

JEJ*  Sixteen  works,  by  eminent  aiUhors,  have  already  been  pi&> 
Uehed  m  the"  Library  of  Select  Novels"  which  are  sold  separately 
•r  m  complete  set*.— For  thttitles  sir  the  Publishers'  catalogue. 


BOY'S  AND   GIRL'S   LIBRARY. 


PROSPECTUS. 

The  publishers  of  the  "  Boy's  and  Girl's  Li- 
brary" propose,  under  this  title,  to  issue  a  series 
of  cheap  but  attractive  volumes,  designed  espe- 
cially for  the  young.  The  undertaking  originates 
not  in  the  impression  that  there  does  not  already 
exist  in  the  treasures  of  the  reading  world  a  large 
provision  for  this  class  of  the  community.  They  are 
fully  aware  of  the  deep  interest  excited  at  the  present 
day  on  the  subject  of  the  mental  and  moral  training 
of  the  young,  and  of  the  amount  of  talent  and  labour 
bestowed  upon  the  production  of  works  aiming 
both  at  the  solid  culture  and  the  innocent  entertain- 
ment of  the  inquisitive  minds  of  children.  They 
would  not  therefore  have  their  projected  enterprise 
construed  into  an  implication  of  the  slightest  dis- 
paragement of  the  merits  of  their  predecessors  in  th* 
same  department.  Indeed  it  is  to  the  fact  of  the 
growing  abundance  rather  than  to  the  scarcity  oi 
useful  productions  of  this  description  that  the  de~ 
sign  of  the  present  work  is  to  be  traced  ;  as  they 
are  desirous  of  creating  a  channel  through  which 
the  products  of  the  many  able  pens  enlisted  in  tha 


yt 


service  of  the  young  may  be  advantageously  con- 
veyed to  the  public. 

The  contemplated  course  of  publications  will 
more  especially  embrace  such  works  as  are  adapt* 
ed,  not  to  the  extremes  of  early  childhood  or  of 
advanced  youth,  but  to  that  intermediate  spp"- 
wliich  lies  between  childhood  and  the  opening 
maturity,  when  the  trifles  of  the  nursery  and  me 
simple  lessons  of  the  school-room  have  ceased  to 
exercise  their  beneficial  influence,  but  before  the 
taste  for  a  higher  order  of  mental  pleasure  has  es- 
tablished a  fixed  ascendency  in  their  stead.  In  the 
selection  of  works  intended  for  the  rising  gccera- 
tion  in  this  plastic  period  of  their  existence,  when 
the  elements  of  future,  character  are  receiving  their 
moulding  impress,  the  publishers  pledge  themselves 
that  the  utmost  care  and  scrupulosity  shall  be  exer- 
cised. They  are  fixed  in  their  determination  that 
nothing  of  a  questionable  tendency  on  the  score  of 
sentiment  shall  find  admission  into  pages  conse- 
crated to  the  holy  purpose  of  instructing  the  thoughts, 
regulating  the  passions,  and  settling  the  principles 
of  the  young.  * 

In  fine,  the  publishers  of  the  " Boy's  and  Girl's 
Library"  would  assure  the  public  that  an  adequate 
patronage  alone  is  wanting  to  induce  and  enable 
them  to  secure  the  services  of  the  most  gifted  pens 
in  our  country  in  the  proposed  publication,  and  thus 
to  render  it  altogether  worthy  of  the  age  and  the 
object  which  call  it  forth,  and  of  the  countenance 
which  they  solicit  for  it 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

405  Hilgard  Avenue,  Los  Angeles,  CA  90024-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


HARPER'S   FAMILY   LIBRARY. 


os.  1, 2,  3.  Miiman's  History 

of  the  Jew      With  plates  3  v. 
1,5.  Lockhar?  v  LifeofNapo- 

maparte.    Plate.*..  2v. 
•  *s  Life  of  Nelson  1  v. 
.  \Y 'liams's  Life  of  Alexan- 
der the  Great,    Plates —  lv. 
History  of  Insects  1  v. 
.  Gait's  Life  of  Lord  Byron  1  t. 
.  Btish's  Life  of  Mohammed  1  v< 
.  Scott  on  Demonology  and 

-aft:.     Plate 1  v. 

13    Gleig's  Bible  History. .  2  v. 
Discovery  and  Adventure 

in  t be  Polar  Seas,  &c I  v. 

ifi.  of  Ge  >rge  IV.  1  v. 
Discovery  and  Adventure 
in  Africa*.    Engravings  ..  lv. 
13.19.  Cunningham's  Lives 
of  Painters.  Sculptors,  &c.  3  v. 
James's  Ki  -;tory  of  Chiv- 
alry and  tae  C : •  usaces ....   1  v. 
22.    Bell's    Lite   of   Mary 
Queen  of  Scots.     Portrait  2  v. 
Euseelri  Mod- 

ern Eg}"'  es..  lv. 

Fletcher  and  lv. 

Smith's  Festivals,  Games, 

and  Amusements lv. 

Brewster's  Life  of  Sir  Isaac 
Newton,    With  plates...  lv. 

.   Palestine,  or  toe 
Holy  Lan  •     With  Plates  I  v. 
Memes's  Memciri  of  Em- 
press Josephine    Plates.,  lv. 
The   Court  and  Camp  of 
Bonapwe,      With  platen  lv, 
L.ves  of  Early  Navigators  lv. 
-.on  of    Pitcairti'a. 
&.e.  Engravings..  1  v. 
Turner's  Sacred  History.,  lv. 


33,34.  Memoirs  of  celebrated 
Female  Sovereign 

35,36.  Landers' Africa 

37. .  Abercronnie  on  the  Intel- 
lectual Powers,  &c- . ... 

38,  39, 40.  Lives  of  Celebrated 
Travellers ... 

41, 42.  Life  of  Frederic  IL  King 
of  Prussia     Portrait.. . . . 

43,  44.  Sketches  fora  Venetian 
History.    With  plates... 

45, 46.  Thatcher's  Indian  Lives 

47,48.49.  History  of  India... 

50:  Brewster's  Lts'.<c?s  on  Nat- 
ural Magic 

51,52.  History 

53,  Discoveries  on  the  North- 
ern C 

54.  Hut 

ural  philoeo] 

FT,  Mud,. 
serv; 

53.  After 

59.  Dick 
ofSo' 

60.  Jame 

61.  Nubia  and  _* 

62.  63.  Li 
Several 

CLASSICAL  SERIES. 
1,2.  Xenophor. 

Cyropaedia.)    Port- 
3,4.  Leland's  Demos i 
5.  Rose's  Sallti- 
6,7.  Casals  C 

DRAM  AT! 
1,2,3.  Massrngei 
4  5;  Ford's  Pla>  • 


: lip 

Revel  & 

3So»'8  ana  €cirl»»5. 


c...  i 

it 


?male  Bi 


16.  <„iiroUne  W 


StanUattt  histories 
Rome     Maps 
sovfa  Works =    Platen. 


i  History  of  Modem 
RusHeU  and  J* 


Unive 


